As Codirector of WestEd’s Math Pathways & Pitfalls, José Franco focuses on concurrently enriching students’ mathematical comprehension and academic language development. He advocates for teachers to orchestrate mathematics discussions that enhance student voice and identity. Equity is at the core of Franco’s work.
The Math Pathways & Pitfalls publishing team works across multiple departments to lead the way in developing processes, procedures, protocols, and standards for excellence in publishing at WestEd. In 2009, the first-of-its-kind K-8 prevention/intervention curriculum was developed for educators as a series of books, posters, and videos.
Franco enjoys designing professional development for school and district teams and uses his K-12 mathematics pedagogy expertise to provide technical assistance to educators throughout the country. He creates an environment for teachers to reflect on their practices, beliefs in students, and application of theory into practice. He assists teachers and administrators to develop professional learning communities, common planning time, lesson study, and parent engagement outreach that influence effective and equitable schoolwide practices. When working with educators who teach English learners, Franco helps them plan lessons that teach the content and English language development in tandem.
Prior to joining WestEd, Franco worked 19 years for the EQUALS Program at the University of California, Berkeley, and 13 years as EQUALS Director. He was also a founding Director and former President of a National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) affiliate, TODOS: Mathematics for All. TODOS advocates for equity and excellence in math education for ALL students, and Latinx students in particular. In 2016 he received the TODOS Iris Carl Equity and Leadership Award.
Franco has written numerous articles for publications including Thoughts and Deeds: Equity in Mathematics and Science, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Changing the Faces of Mathematics: Perspectives on Latinos, published by NCTM; and Advocating for Equity and Diversity Within the Context of Standards-Based Reform, published by the NCTM Standards Impact Research Group.
Previously, Franco was a K-8 bilingual and migrant education teacher in Colorado and California. He earned his M.A in Mathematics Education at San Francisco State and B.A. in Elementary Education with a special emphasis on Bilingual Education from Metropolitan State College in Denver, Colorado.