José Franco is a Senior Research Associate with the Quality Schools and Districts team and Co-Director of WestEd’s Math Pathways and Pitfalls.
As Co-Director of WestEd’s Math Pathways and 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.
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. 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 University of California, Berkeley, and for 13 years as the 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.
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 holds an MA in mathematics education from San Francisco State and a BA in elementary education with a special emphasis on bilingual education from Metropolitan State College in Denver, Colorado.