Journal of Urban Mathematics Education July 2016, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 1–6 ©JUME. http://education.gsu.edu/JUME DAVID W. STINSON is an associate professor of mathematics education in the Department of Middle and Secondary Education in the College of Education and Human Development, at Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3978, Atlanta, GA, 30303; e-mail: dstinson@gsu.edu. His research inter- ests include exploring socio-cultural, -historical, and -political aspects of mathematics and mathemat- ics teaching and learning from a critical postmodern theoretical (and methodological) perspective. He is a co-founder and current editor in chief of the Journal of Urban Mathematics Education. EDITORIAL Contributing a Commentary to JUME: Keeping Things Going While They Are Still Stirring David W. Stinson Georgia State University s JUME continues to grow in both years and influence, I have had an increas- ing number of mathematics educators (i.e., scholars, researchers, teacher edu- cators, and/or classroom teachers) inquire about contributing a manuscript to the Commentary or Response Commentary sections of the journal. Some of the usual questions: Can anyone submit a manuscript for consideration to these sections? Or are manuscripts by invitation? Are manuscripts peer reviewed? What is the turna- round time? What issues or topics might be included? How long is a typical manu- script? What is the purpose (or purposes) of a JUME commentary? Here, I aim to answer these and other questions (see highlighted hyperlinks throughout for addi- tional information). I begin by responding to the last question, given that the subtitle of this edito- rial—a paraphrase of Sojourner Truth’s words spoken at the first annual meeting of the American Equal Rights Association in 1867—reflects the purpose of a JUME commentary. Her extended remarks certainly convey, I believe, the purpose: “So I am for keeping the thing going while things are stirring; because if we wait till it is still, it will take a great while to get it going again” (Truth, 1867, p. 20). That is to say, the purpose of the Commentary section—and its companion, the Response Commentary section1—is to keep conversations about critical issues going in con- structive directions, forever bringing those critical issues into the center.2 When stirring, not only do things keep going but also those things on the margins are brought to the center. A perusal of the titles of JUME commentaries over the past 9 years provides a listing of sorts of some of the critical issues that need to be contin- 1 Manuscripts submitted to the Response Commentary section should be in direct response to commentaries published in JUME, either in the current issue or past issues. These response com- mentaries can provide a different viewpoint, extend the conversation, or take the conversation in a new direction. 2 When bringing critical issues to the center, the aim is not to somehow normalize such issues but rather to include them as central components of productive discussions and actions. A http://education.gsu.edu/JUME mailto:dstinson@gsu.edu Stinson Editorial Journal of Urban Mathematics Education Vol. 9, No. 1 2 uously engaged and brought to the center (see Appendix A). Because many, if not most, of these issues can be perceived as troubling and uncomfortable topics for “polite conversation,” too often the way they are discussed or “managed” in the larger mathematics education community is through journal special editions; set-aside meetings, conferences, workshops, or courses; or themed edited volumes, to name just a few. In other words, rarely are these issues integrat- ed throughout the day-to-day discussions and activities of the vast majority of mathematics educators. But here at JUME these too-uncomfortable-for-polite-conversation issues are the very ones that are openly integrated and, most importantly, interrogated throughout the online pages of every JUME edition. In many ways, the commentary (or commentaries) of each published edition sets the stage, so to speak, to remind our readers about the journal’s mission: “To foster a transformative global academ- ic space in mathematics that embraces critical research, emancipatory pedagogy, and scholarship of engagement in urban communities.” Can anyone submit a manuscript for consideration to these sections? Or are manuscripts by invitation? The responses to these two questions: yes and yes. Sub- mitted manuscripts to the Commentary and Response Commentary sections are both unsolicited and solicited.3 But it is crucial to note, whether unsolicited or solic- ited, manuscripts must be scholarly essays solidly grounded in the literature. Manu- scripts are not to be confused with blog postings, letters to the editor, or op-eds. Similar to these writing spaces, authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts in first-person narratives but these narratives must be grounded in the science of the author(s), the science of others, or, preferably, both. In fact, when manuscripts are solicited, we (the Editorial Team) request that the author(s) cite heavily her or his own work and the work of others so that the reference list might become an educa- tive resource for our readers. Most often, solicited authors are noted senior scholars who have an extensive and established body of research and scholarship that re- flects the mission of JUME. Nonetheless, throughout the past 9 years, commen- taries have been authored and co-authored not only by senior scholars but also by mid-career folks, freshly minted PhDs, and doctoral students. Are manuscripts peer reviewed? What is the turnaround time? Yes, all manu- scripts submitted to both the Commentary and the Response Commentary sections are open peer reviewed4 by the editor and members of the editorial team (and, at times, other senior members of the larger mathematics education community). Ini- 3 Solicited manuscripts might also include revised versions of delivered talks (see, e.g., Leonard, 2012; Martin, 2015; Nasir, 2016); the aim here is to bring unpublished talks to the larger mathe- matics education community. 4 Submissions to the Pubic Stories of Mathematics Educators and the Book Review sections are also open peer reviewed by the editor and members of the editorial team. Stinson Editorial Journal of Urban Mathematics Education Vol. 9, No. 1 3 tially, manuscripts were sent out for double-blind peer review. The process was changed to open peer review so that solicited authors might receive reviews in a timely manner. Given that the journal is published only twice a year, it was im- portant that time from initial solicitation to published commentary be no more than six months. In most cases, for both unsolicited and solicited submitted manuscripts, authors receive reviews within eight to ten weeks, with time from initial submission to publication being around six to eight months. (See Peer Review Process for addi- tional information.) What issues or topics might be included? How long is a typical manuscript? The issues or topics of submitted manuscripts vary widely. To provide an idea of what might be addressed in a JUME commentary, I borrow partially from Kilpat- rick (2007) when he provided a list on what topics might be included in a manu- script submitted to the Research Commentary section of the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. I modify and extend his list here to focus explicitly on an urban mathematics education context:  Commentaries on research within an urban context;  Discussions of the connections between research, policy, and/or practice within an urban context;  Scholarly analyses of policy trends related to urban mathematics educa- tion (e.g., research funding, national policies);  Scholarly essays on sociopolitical issues that relate to urban mathematics education;  Commentaries on the relationship between research and evaluation within an urban context; and  Scholarly debates among proponents of different viewpoints on issues that relate to urban mathematics education. This list is certainly not exhaustive, but does provide an idea of the different possi- ble directions a JUME commentary might take (for additional guidance, see Ap- pendix A). The length of manuscripts typically range from 1,500–4,500 words, in- clusive of references, appendices, footnotes, figures, and tables. (See Section Poli- cies and Author Guidelines for additional information about submitting a manu- script to JUME.) With the aim of keeping things going while they are sill stirring, we look for- ward to receiving your submission to the Commentary or Response Commentary sections. If you have additional questions, please email me at dstinson@gsu.edu. References Kilpatrick, J. (2007). A commentary on research commentaries [Editorial]. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 38(2), 106–107. http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/about/editorialPolicies#peerReviewProcess http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/about/editorialPolicies#sectionPolicies http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/about/editorialPolicies#sectionPolicies http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/about/submissions#authorGuidelines mailto:dstinson@gsu.edu Stinson Editorial Journal of Urban Mathematics Education Vol. 9, No. 1 4 Leonard, J. (2012). Er’body talkin’ ‘bout social justice ain’t goin’ there. Journal of Urban Mathe- matics Education, 5(2), 18–27. Retrieved from http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/192/117 Martin, D. B. (2015). The collective Black and Principles to Actions. Journal of Urban Mathematics Education, 8(1), 17–23. Retrieved from http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/270/169 Nasir, N. S. (2016). Why mathematics educators should care about race and culture? Journal of Ur- ban Mathematics Education, 9(1), 6–17. Retrieved from http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/298/192 Truth, S. (1867). Speech, Proceedings of the first anniversary of the American Equal Rights Associa- tion, held at the Church of the Puritans, New York, May 9 and 10, 1867 (pp. 20–21). New York, NY: R. J. Johnston, Printer. http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/192/117 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/298/192 Stinson Editorial Journal of Urban Mathematics Education Vol. 9, No. 1 5 APPENDIX A Commentaries and Response Commentaries by Title and Author (2008–2016) NOTE: Scroll over titles and click; all are hyperlinked.  Putting the “Urban” in Mathematics Education Scholarship William F. Tate – Washington University in St. Louis  The Common Core State Standards Initiative: A Critical Response Eric (Rico) Gutstein – University of Illinois at Chicago  Mathematics as Gatekeeper: Power and Privilege in the Production of Knowledge Danny Bernard Martin, Maisie L. Gholson – University of Illinois at Chicago Jacqueline Leonard – University of Colorado Denver “Both And”—Equity and Mathematics: A Response to Martin, Gholson, and Leonard Jere Confrey – North Carolina State University Engaging Students in Meaningful Mathematics Learning: Different Per- spectives, Complementary Goals Michael T. Battista – The Ohio State University  Changing Students’ Lives Through the De-tracking of Urban Mathematics Classrooms Jo Boaler – Stanford University  Positive Possibilities of Rethinking (Urban) Mathematics Education Within a Postmodern Frame Margaret Walshaw – Massey University  Neoliberal Urbanism, Race, and Equity in Mathematics Education Pauline Lipman – University of Illinois at Chicago  Erbody Talkin bout Social Justice Aint Goin There Jacqueline Leonard – University of Wyoming  Why (Urban) Mathematics Teachers Need Political Knowledge Rochelle Gutiérrez – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  Place Matters: Mathematics Education Reform in Urban Schools Celia Rousseau Anderson – University of Memphis  Why Should Mathematics Educators Learn from and about Latina/o Students’ In-School and Out-of-School Experiences? Marta Civil – The University of Arizona http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/19/2 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/88/43 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/95/57 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/95/57 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/108/53 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/108/53 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/115/58 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/115/58 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/138/85 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/138/85 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/141/89 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/141/89 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/191/116 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/192/117 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/223/148 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/231/150 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/251/159 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/251/159 Stinson Editorial Journal of Urban Mathematics Education Vol. 9, No. 1 6  The Collective Black and Principles to Actions Danny Bernard Martin – University of Illinois at Chicago Call for Mathematics Education Colleagues and Stakeholders to Collaboratively Engage with NCTM: In Response to Martin’s Commentary Diane J. Briars – NCTM President Matt Larson – NCTM President-Elect Marilyn E. Strutchens – NCTM Board of Directors David Barnes – NCTM Associate Executive Director, Research, Learning and Development  Mathematics and Social Justice: A Symbiotic Pedagogy Gareth Bond, Egan J. Chernoff – University of Saskatchewan, Canada  From Implicit to Explicit: Articulating Equitable Learning Trajectories Based Instruction Marrielle Myers – Kennesaw State University Paola Sztajn – North Carolina State University P. Holt Wilson – University of North Carolina at Greensboro Cyndi Edgington – North Carolina State University  Why Should Mathematics Educators Care About Race and Culture? Na’ilah Suad Nasir – University of California, Berkeley http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/270/169 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/292/178 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/292/178 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/256/170 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/288/177 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/288/177 http://ed-osprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/298/192