In honor of Pi Day on March 14 (3/14), Terrapin Teachers joined a group of 314 organizations around the world who are presenting screenings of the documentary "Counted Out" throughout the month of March. Terrapin Teachers hosted two screenings of the film on the University of Maryland’s campus on March 14, each followed by a panel discussion. Directed by Vicki Abeles, “Counted Out” explores the importance of numeric literacy and how people’s ability to understand math affects their access to social and economic power.
Following the morning screening of the film, Ebony Terrell Shockley, associate dean for undergraduate studies and educator preparation in the UMD College of Education and vice-chair of the Professional Standards Teacher Education Board, and Josh Michael, executive director of the Sherman Family Foundation and president of the Maryland State Board of Education, led the first panel discussion. Panelists included Maggie Arnold, a math teacher in Frederick County Public Schools and a Milken Award winner; Arin Bonner ’05, director of Title I programs in Charles County Public Schools; Lawrence Clark, associate professor of mathematics education at UMD; Amyah Dorn ’25, a senior applied mathematics major and secondary mathematics teacher candidate; and Justin Robinson M.Ed. ’13, national board certified teacher, a numeracy coach in Prince George's County Public Schools and a member of the Accountability & Implementation Board for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.
Imani Masters Goffney, assistant professor of mathematics at UMD, led the evening panel, which included panelists Toya Jones Frank M.Ed. ’01, Ph.D. ’13, a program officer at the National Science Foundation; Tarik Buli Ph.D. ’22, a postdoctoral scholar at Digital Promise; and Milen Matthews, a Ph.D. student in mathematics education at UMD.
With the goal of helping to address the critical shortage of STEM teachers in Maryland, Terrapin Teachers provides a pathway to secondary education teacher certification for undergraduate and graduate math and science students at UMD. The 10-year-old program is a collaborative initiative of the UMD Provost’s Office; College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS); and the College of Education.
