MCTM Foundation Update- September 2026

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The members of the foundation were pleased to support the attendees of the 2026 Spring Conference. Through an anonymous donation the foundation board was able to support twelve pre-service teachers. The foundation board also supported five individual teachers and three teams by awarding grants totaling $5405. It was great to see the number of teachers attending both the symposium and the conference. Our book sale, quilt raffle, wood intarsia, and baskets raffles were successful due to your generous support. We raised over $1400 in the two days. Stay tuned for what is in store for the conference in the Spring 2027!

 

The following are just a few of the comments shared by the Spring Conference grantees in their reports to the board.

The keynote by Anton Treuer emphasized that math is not abstract, but deeply embedded in culture, community, and everyday life. He challenged educators to “reveal the culture in math,” highlighting examples such as crafts, games, measurement, and land use. A key takeaway was the importance of ensuring students see themselves reflected in mathematics and asking critically, “Who is not having their needs met?” This requires intentional effort to understand students’ cultural backgrounds, build emotional trust, and incorporate contemporary—not just historical—perspectives. Importantly, he stressed that educators must take responsibility for learning about cultures rather than relying on students as representatives. 

Overall, the Instructional Routines & Anchor Standard series was a great opportunity to be completely immersed and focused on the shifts with the new standards. We learned how to break down new benchmarks into more digestible steps, along with practical strategies for preparation, student engagement, and creating meaningful context for learning. We also gained ideas for improving collaboration within middle school teams and across grade levels to ensure consistency and alignment. We walked away with many new ideas and activities that can be used immediately in the classroom, particularly on fractions and angles. We brought back a number line activity to the math PLCs (K–8) the Monday after the conference and have already seen the activity being used in the classrooms. It’s just been a little over a week! 

Overall, the conference sessions have enriched my teaching toolkit with research-based strategies and culturally responsive practices. The conference has given me the confidence to continue working with Peter Liljedahl’s Thinking Classrooms. I look forward to integrating these ideas into my classroom to boost student engagement, deepen conceptual understanding, and support every learner’s success in mathematics. 

The Foundation Board is also happy to announce that Erin Swanson from the Cologne Academy is the recipient of the MCTM Teacher Incentive Grant that was awarded in spring. Erin’s project is titled Bringing Play and Tinkering into the Math Classroom. 

 

Upcoming Deadlines for Grants from MCTM & the MCTM Foundation

See all the details at 

https://www.mctm.org/grants-scholarships

 

Cutler Scholarships for Middle Grade Teachers:  Are you a middle school teacher planning to take a mathematics course this year? Did you know you can get help with tuition – up to $1200!!! Deadline is Oct. 31st.

Support the Foundation by Donating On-Line

Go the web site:https://www.mctm.org/Donate

There is an on-line Donation Form.

Changes to the Foundation Board

The board would like to publicly thank Judy Stucki for serving on the board and Donna Forbes for serving as the board’s chair; they will be missed. 

Are you interested in joining the Foundation Board?

We have two in-person meetings and one virtual meeting, second Saturday of October, first Saturday in December and first Saturday in February. Additional virtual meetings will be scheduled to discuss grant and scholarship applications. 

The MCTM Foundation Governing Committee is composed of at least nine members that each serve a three year term. The Purpose (Mission):

  • Raise funds to support classroom teacher’s attendance at MCTM conferences, college coursework, and other professional development.
  • Encourage teachers to apply for funds.
  • Maintain effective practices for the financial health of the foundation.