With less than half of Minnesota students proficient in math, a new curriculum rolled out at two Prior Lake middle schools has parents fuming, saying the program focuses more on social justice than academic achievement.

Hidden Oaks and Twin Oaks Middle Schools in the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools (PLSAS) district have implemented the Inspiring Connections curriculum—an updated version of the College Preparatory Mathematics (CPM) program. But part of what sets this version apart is the inclusion of politically-charged topics such as racial disparities in student suspension rates, a shift that critics say detracts from fundamental math skills.

Charles Johnson, a PLSAS middle school parent and school board candidate, was frustrated after watching his daughter’s math scores, which had steadily improved each year, suddenly drop when she entered the CPM pilot program in the 2023-24 school year.

“Math often requires memorization and individual effort,” he said. “With CPM, the teacher gives a short instruction, and then students work on problems in groups. But my daughter has mentioned several times that middle school girls tend to get chatty in group settings, and little gets done. The stronger students end up doing all the work or just giving answers to those who struggle, which doesn’t help anyone learn.”