1 TEACHING MATHEMATICS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE: CONVERSATIONS WITH EDUCATORS Symposium Coordinators: David W. Stinson Anita A. Wager Georgia State University University of Wisconsin-Madison Symposium Presenters – Tonya Gau Bartell, Brian R. Evans, Eric (Rico) Gutstein and Jacqueline Leonard Symposium Discussants – Victoria Hand and Joi Spencer Using Marilyn Frankenstein’s germinal 1983 article “Critical Mathematics Education: An Application of Paulo Freire’s Epistemology” and Ole Skovsmose’s 1985 germinal article “Mathematics Education Versus Critical Education” as credible “start points”, critical mathematics or more broadly, social justice mathematics, is marking three decades of empowering yet uncertain possibilities. Nonetheless, there are two recurring questions: What is it? and What does it “look like”? Drawing on the collective stories (and wisdom) of critical mathematics educators, this symposium aims to offer some open, non-definitive answers to these two questions. AIMS OF SYMPOSIUM 1 This symposium aims to engage MES7 delegates in a critical, interactive discussion on the recently released, edited volume Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice: Conversations with Educators (Wager & Stinson 2012), and on critical/social justice mathematics in general. The symposium participants include leading mathematics teacher educators and researchers, who have explored, developed, researched, and/or taught mathematics for social change. The symposium presenters will not only share personal narratives of how they came to do this important work but also offer theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical propositions in solidarity with others who might wish to explore the empowering uncertainties of teaching (and learning) mathematics for social justice. The book in general was organized into three key sections intended to guide readers through the historical and theoretical development of critical/social justice mathematics, the teaching of teachers in how to teach mathematics for social justice, and the possibilities and challenges of teaching mathematics for social justice (TMfSJ) in classrooms. The symposium presenters are four contributing authors and the two co-editors who will provide, in turn, an overview of their respective chapter and the book in general. Two outside discussants will critique not only the work presented but also the open-ended challenges and promises of critical/social justice mathematics.