ABSTRACT
Th e low-level production of Latino/a mathematics educators with PhDs is sobering. According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), between 1994 and 2004, 39 out of 1,086 (3.5%) mathematics education doctorates were awarded to Latinos/as (NSF, 2006). I am one of these 39. On average over this decade, the number of Latino/a math education doctorates produced annually can be counted on one hand. Th is statistic is important because it refl ects a confl uence of factors that infl uence my work as a Latina2 mathematics educator with a deep commitment to transforming mathematics teaching and learning to improve and advance the mathematics education of children traditionally underrepresented in mathematics and science-based careers. I pursued a doctorate to examine issues related to why Latino/a, African American, and American Indian youth struggle in mathematics education, why so few are prepared for college, and even fewer pursue careers in mathematics and science. I felt, as a biracial Chicana3 with Spanish as my second language coming from a mixed working-class and middle-class upbringing with a strong commitment to equity and social justice, that I had something to contribute to the dialogue in mathematics education to make a diff erence for my own communities of color. My focus turned to the adults most responsible for the mathematics education of children: teachers.
