Documentary ‘Counted Out’ Discusses Advocation for Inclusive Math Education
Vicki Abeles (Director and Producer) is a filmmaker, attorney and change agent. She directed the award-winning documentaries “Race to Nowhere” and “Beyond Measure.” She is also the author of the NYT best-selling book “Beyond Measure.”
By Zachary Daum
McKendree University’s Hettenhausen Center for the Arts will be holding a free showing of award winning director Vicki Abeles film “Counted Out,” a new documentary exploring the need for more inclusive and empowering math education. According to their website the film, “investigates the biggest crises of our time. Political polarization. Racial biases. Social injustice. Economic inequity. Climate change. And a global pandemic. All viewed through a previously unseen lens: math.”
The Herald recently spoke with director Abeles to discuss the film. She explained her motivations for filmmaking, goals and insights regarding the future of math education. The film, which follows Abeles’ previous impactful works “Race to Nowhere” and “Beyond Measure,” will be screened at McKendree University, the oldest college in Illinois, located in Lebanon.
When asked what led her to the making of “Counted Out,” Abeles explained that the inspiration came from recognizing that math education often acts as a barrier to opportunity. “We need math to be accessible to everyone because it’s a language that allows us to understand the world,” she said. Abeles emphasized that math should not be a ‘gatekeeper subject’ but rather a tool that empowers individuals to think critically and solve real-world problems.
She also discussed how the film formed. “This film didn’t necessarily start with one story or experience. But there were a series of awakenings and stories and all of those stories kind of coalesced around this idea that our access to math and our comfort with math impacts the quality of our lives and the health of our society.”
The conversation then shifted to Abeles’ approach to filming the documentary. She described how she traveled across the country, visiting classrooms, talking to educators, students and experts in education. “I wanted to capture the voices of those who are most affected by the way we teach math,” she stated. Abeles aimed to highlight both the challenges and successes within the education system, emphasizing that meaningful change often comes from grassroots efforts rather than top-down mandates.
Abeles also spoke passionately about the importance of viewing mathematical thinking as a natural part of everyone’s capabilities. “I want people to feel that they have agency to ask questions, that mathematical thinking is something intrinsic in all of us,” she said. She stressed that small changes can have significant impacts on the ways students interact with math, making it feel more relevant and accessible.
On the topic of how educators and institutions can begin making these changes, Abeles stressed the importance of supporting teachers, both individually and on the whole. “We need to be investing in and supporting our teachers, not only with resources but also with the time, some freedom and flexibility,” she remarked. Creating environments where teachers feel empowered to innovate are an essential part of children’s learning, according to Abeles.
“We need to consider everything we do in school from the student experience and prioritize well-being.” She believes that even small changes can have a big impact on young people, adding, “Whether that’s working on a fun, open-ended math problem once a week in a group, talking about math in a positive way, emphasizing thinking rather than right answers, or inviting students to think about the math they see in their lives every day, all of these things are really small changes that can make a really big difference.” Abeles also highlights the role of parents in education, stating, “Learning starts at home… I think there’s a real opportunity for parents to shift the way they talk about math. So many of us refer to ourselves as ‘not math people,’ and I think that does a great deal of damage to kids.” She also encourages parents to take a more active role, saying, “Parents can just play games with their kids in the same way that we read books to our children.”
When asked what she hopes people take away from “Counted Out”, Abeles expressed a desire for audiences to rethink their relationship with math. “I want them to leave feeling like math is not something you either get or you don’t get. It’s something that’s a part of all of us,” she said. “It’s a film that is much bigger than about math, it’s about the biggest social issues of our time. If there’s one thing I hope people take away from the film, it’s that math is not just about numbers. It’s about power, it’s about opportunity and it’s ultimately about a healthy society. And I want every individual to walk away from the film feeling empowered, to rethink their relationship with math and to re-engage with the math that is shaping our lives, and to advocate for a system that ensures everyone has access to this essential way of thinking.
Looking forward, Abeles has a couple of projects that are at the forefront of her mind. “I’m also, right now, really committed to seeing this film’s distribution out into the world and to growing impact with this film. But I do have a couple projects I’m really interested in,” she explained. One of these projects focuses on the subject of aging from various angles, including the idea that aging is one of the “isms” that hasn’t been widely explored yet in film. Another project aims to examine America’s complex relationship with alcohol.
For locals interested in viewing “Counted Out,” the film will be shown on Thursday, March 27 at 6:00 PM at McKendree University’s Hettenhausen Center for the Arts. There will also be a post film discussion.
