Overview

• Elizabeth Simons donated $250,000 to New Yorkers for Lower Costs, a super PAC supporting mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, according to new reporting.
• Representatives for Simons and Mamdani did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the donation or on math curriculum policy.
• The Heising-Simons Foundation has given $1.7 million since 2023 to the Racial Justice in Early Mathematics Project at Chicago’s Erikson Institute and at least $4 million to other related groups from 2022 to 2023.
• Examples cited in grants and programs include teacher toolkits and seminars, support for TODOS: Mathematics for All, and a K–2 activity in Alexandria, Virginia that had students tally picture-book characters by race.
• Supporters describe lessons that weave social issues into math, while critics warn of donor-driven influence and point to reporting that finds no credible evidence these approaches improve math performance.