Newton Public Schools provides math assignment asking ninth-grade students how they “believe systematic racism” leads to incarceration rates

Concerned community members reached out to Defending Education regarding a math lesson that was provided to students at Newton South High School within Newton Public Schools. On May 12, 2025, students in multiple ninth-grade math classes were provided with an assignment on incarceration rates of people who were white, black, and Hispanic. One part of the question notably tells students: “Explain how you believe systematic racism creates the data displayed by the above timeplot.”