A New York Post report says philanthropist Liz Simons, the daughter of late hedge-fund founder Jim Simons, has donated $250,000 to a super PAC supporting Zohran Mamdani’s New York City mayoral campaign and is a major funder of a national effort to incorporate race and social-justice themes into K–12 math instruction.
The Post described the initiative as an attempt to move traditional, race-neutral math instruction toward lessons that explicitly address racial and LGBTQ issues; the report quoted critics who labeled the approach “woke math.” According to that reporting, Simons oversees a foundation with a near-billion-dollar endowment that has directed grant money to curricula and programs that integrate equity-related content into mathematics lessons.
Critics quoted in the Post said some lesson plans funded by the effort repurpose straightforward math exercises—such as using graphs or statistics—to highlight disparities in income or other outcomes across racial groups. The Post’s account said the approach has been embraced in certain California districts and program materials, while other states, including Florida, have moved to ban or limit lessons they view as centered on race or identity.
The donation to the super PAC supporting Mamdani was reported alongside the foundation funding in the Post article. Mamdani, a member of the New York City Council and a declared candidate in the mayoral race, has been described in some coverage as a progressive voice in city politics; the Post characterized the super PAC as backing his campaign.
The debate over how to teach race, equity and identity in public schools has intensified in recent years, with state legislatures, school boards and philanthropies taking different positions. Supporters of curricula that bring social-justice issues into classroom subjects say the materials can make lessons more relevant to students’ lives and address longstanding disparities in education and outcomes. Opponents argue that such content injects political or ideological viewpoints into instruction that should remain neutral and focused on core academic skills.
Education policy decisions have varied across the country. In California, some districts and state guidance have encouraged teaching practices that address identity and equity across subjects, while Florida and other states have enacted restrictions on instruction that they say centers on race or national origin. National philanthropic support for education programs has become a focal point in that broader debate, as donors direct grants toward curriculum development, teacher training and research.
The New York Post article is the primary source for the specific claims tying Simons’s donations to both school-curriculum initiatives and the super PAC contribution. The Post attributed characterizations of the curricular approach to critics who used the term "woke math"; reporting also noted the geographic variance in adoption and opposition.
As the mayoral campaign continues and the national discussion over curriculum and philanthropy proceeds, the role of large private donors in shaping education policy and political campaigns is likely to remain a subject of scrutiny and public debate.
