Our history
During the 2013-2014 academic year, Jason and Sandy Roberts were asked to coach their son's 4th-grade Math Field Day team at McKinley School. After developing their students' problem-solving skills and filling the gaps in their grade-level knowledge, the students' questions naturally expanded the discussion to include content normally reserved for the higher grade levels, and by the end of the year, the students had managed to learn most of the material found in prealgebra.
The following year, Jason and Sandy were given an opportunity to teach this same group of kids in the form of a three-day-per-week pull-out enrichment class. Given what they had already learned, the next logical step was algebra, which, due to their enthusiasm, they managed to master by winter break. Continuing on, the class delved into numerous topics in algebra II, geometry, functions, trigonometry, combinatorics, sequences and series, and even a little bit of calculus.
The next big step came when the superintendent, Dr. McDonald, made a surprise visit on the last day of class. Being a former math teacher himself, he was shocked at what he saw: 10- and 11-year-old kids competently and enthusiastically solving problems that most high school students would find challenging. It was at this point that Dr. McDonald asked Jason and Sandy if they would help him to create a district pilot based on their model. Together, they spent the next year formulating a program structure that would scale, yet enjoy the same level of success as the original class. There were obstacles to overcome of every kind, but after numerous delays and false starts a workable plan had come into focus.
Meanwhile, Jason continued to push forward with the original group of students (now 10th graders), with the addition of a handful of the school's top 7th- and 8th-grade math students who were given a chance to test into the class. That year, they covered pre-calculus topics such as trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions, vectors and matrices, and probability, but more interestingly, Jason taught the students proof-based mathematics, a subject typically reserved for undergraduate math majors. And as it turned out, being able to showcase 6th graders doing proof-based mathematics was exactly what was needed to attract a Ph.D. mathematician as the program's first full-time instructor.
The 2016-2017 academic year saw the kickoff of the Math Academy pilot, which debuted with 5th-grade-grade classes at McKinley and Sierra Madre Elementary School, 6th-grade classes at McKinley, Sierra Madre Middle School, and Washington Middle School, and a 7th-grade class at McKinley (Jason's original group). While all of the classes were even more successful than imagined, proving that the model was indeed scalable, it became clear that starting the program in 6th-grade made a lot more sense. Attempting to expand the program to the 5th grades of even half of the district's 18 elementary schools would be both financially and logistically intractable.
Math Academy has now come into its own. While the pandemic caused many effects, including Jason and Sandy’s exit from the classrooms, the program is a mainstay within PUSD. The program is fully integrated into Pasadena Unified’s management and enrollment procedures and Math curriculum sequence. With the addition of an experienced and acclaimed AP Calculus teacher and two additional Ph. D mathematicians, there are now 6th-, 7th-, and 8th- grade classes at two middle schools and 9th- through 12th- grade classes at Pasadena High School. While in previous years the classes were either pull-outs or electives, the middle-school and high school courses have now been approved by the PUSD Board as sequenced courses and by the University of California as satisfying a-g requirements. The focus in Pasadena is now on finalizing the optimal curriculum and structure for the upper high school program. The organization has many graduates and is proud to celebrate the achievements and awards of the students who have participated in the program.
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Our Instructors
CHRIS ANDERSON
Chris is a product of PUSD. He went to Field ES, Eliot MS, and Pasadena HS. He received his BA in Physics from Occidental College and his MS in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley. He has a single subject credential in Mathematics from CalState Dominguez Hills. He is married to Ann Anderson a literacy expert teaching at Washington MS and has two kids, Ian Anderson 12 and Aiden Anderson 5, that attend Marshall Fundamental and Willard ES, respectively. He has taught all math courses from pre-algebra to AP Calculus BC. My AP Calculus BC class in 2006 all passed the AP exam. He enjoys playing and coaching basketball, fantasy sports, and mentoring former students.
DR. DYLAN RUPEL
Dr. Dylan was born and raised in California, in fact he grew up not too far away in Simi Valley and completed his baccalaureate in Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences at University of California Santa Barbara. From there, Dr. Dylan moved to Eugene, Oregon to complete his doctorate in Mathematics at University of Oregon under the guidance of Arkady Berenstein. During his 5 years as a UO Duck, Dr. Dylan taught courses from precalculus and trigonometry to differential and integral calculus. After successfully defending his dissertation in 2012, Dr. Dylan spent a semester studying and doing mathematical research at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute on the University of California Berkeley campus. From here Dr. Dylan spent several years in mathematical research post-doctoral positions: 3 years at Northeastern University, 3 years at University of Notre Dame, and 1 year at Michigan State University. During these years Dr. Dylan taught courses across the mathematical spectrum from basic calculus courses to graduate topics courses and published more than 15 mathematical research articles.
DR. KYLE CHAPMAN
Dr. Chapman earned his Ph.D. from UC Santa Barbara. He has been working as a postdoc at the University of Georgia, where he taught courses ranging from precalculus and calculus to game theory and graph theory. His research papers cover topics of knot theory, geometry, and random sampling algorithms. He has a passion for teaching, has won an award for teaching, and looks forward to sharing his love of math with his students.
Our supporters
Pasadena Community Foundation
The Pasadena Community Foundation helps donors maximize the impact of their charitable contributions — strengthening the community, preserving cultural resources, and assisting those in need. PCF is proud to support the Math Academy through the Fefferman Initiative.
Pasadena Educational Foundation
At the Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF) we believe strong schools build strong communities. For more than 45 years, we have been committed to building dynamic community partnerships to support our public schools. Being a vital part of our community enables us to provide essential resources and enrichment opportunities to every public school student in Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre.
