BMC — "ABC" Test Prep 📝

5. Position Statement — Easy as A-B-C?

B. Accordingly, the scope of usual business of United Math Circle Foundation (UMCF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2014 to run back-office administration of math outreach programs for elementary, middle and high school students — commonly referred to as Berkeley Math Circle or San Jose Math Circle — is at its core an increasingly systematized "back stage" administrator — separate and distinct from that of "front stage" circle leaders in the role of guest speakers and/or instructors delivering live performances in lecture halls or classrooms.

C. In a math circle, a rotating cast of 'math circle educators' — whether as guest speakers or instructors — are brought together to match the pedagogical needs of one or more 'math circle programs' via the professional network of its designated 'math circle director' with great care, attention and effort — often from among visiting scholars, guest lecturers, university professors, or practicing mathematicians who don't otherwise engage with children in their academic profession — but nevertheless from time to time (e.g., once or twice a year) accept invitations from a math circle director to participate in math circle programs that aim to acculturate a younger audience in the practice of mathematics in a university setting, or to engage young circlers in an advanced course of mathematics taught the right way using characteristic pedagogical styles of their own choosing, or to deliver public lectures that exemplify the diverse nature of the mathematical profession in the real world.

In view of the above, an honorarium (e.g., $235 per 2-hour session) for a guest speaking role, or a stipend for an instructional role (e.g., 1, 2 or 3-hour sessions weekly over 15-week period or daily over 5 or 10-day period), is customarily offered to math circle educators depending on situation — although some may choose to donate to charity or decline the remuneration altogether. Payment is processed expeditiously by UMCF thus obviating the need to go through the accounting office of an institutional sponsor which adds overhead — e.g., may be as high as 45% — and reported to the IRS on Form 1099-MISC (or 1099-NEC starting 2020) in a manner that is not materially different from that of other math circles administered under their institutional sponsors within the state of California.

Q.E.D.

N.B. But what of math circle directors? UMCF is commonly engaged by math circle directors to handle back-office administrative work for math circle programs that they run. So UMCF is in fact a service provider; and each circle director its client — not to be mistaken as a worker!

As a matter of fact, absent employer-employee relationship between UMCF and circle directors, the whole issue of ABC testing has been rendered moot — "Look Ma, no ABC!"

We know that a math circle director's commensurate remuneration — in the form of non-wage income — can be easily derived from program surplus, e.g., by way of some "magic formula" that calibrates to the time sheet. So remuneration for each circle director remains undiminished, e.g., drawing upon pooled reserve in case of program deficit but otherwise any surplus is added back to the reserve. In any case, the benefit of net program surplus — after deducting circle director's formulaic remuneration — accrues to UMCF just like before. This is how UMCF can be sustainably financed over the long term — should it decide to offer services to other math circles around the Bay Area or bring onboard aspiring circle directors to create new math circles.

8. United Math Circles Foundation — By The Numbers (Spring & Summer 2020 Snapshot)

• 2+ Math Circles: Berkeley Math Circle (BMC Elementary + BMC Upper) & San Jose Math Circle (SJMC).
• 3 Circle Directors: Laura Givental, Zvezdelina Stankova (full-time professor), Tatiana Shubin (retired professor).
• 6 Circle Programs [ 25 Groups ]: BMC Elementary [ 2 ], BMC Upper [ 5 ], MTRW [ 4 ], BMC Summer [ 4+2 ], Math Contests [ 6 ], SJMC [ 2 ].
• [ ___ ] Circle Educators: BMC Elementary [___], BMC Upper [___], MTRW [___], BMC Summer [___], SJMC [___].
• [ ___ ] Circle Graders: MTRW [___], Math Contests [ 1 ].
• [ ___ ] Circle Assistants + 1 Circle Accountant: BMC
• [ ___ ] Circlers: BMC Elementary [___], BMC Upper [ 40+66+54+45+27 ], MTRW [___], BMC Summer [___+16+___], Math Contests [___], SJMC [___].

9. Thriving Math Circles in The Greater Bay Area

1. Berkeley Math Circle (est. 1998) — sponsored by UC Berkeley Mathematics Department, Economics Department, Statistics Department, EECS, MSRI, Simons Institute for Theory of Computing, The Berkeley AI Research Lab, CITRIS Vanguard Charitable and parents' contribution.
2. San Jose Math Circle (est. 1998) — sponsored by San Jose State University.
3. San Francisco Math Circle (est. 2005) — sponsored by San Francisco State University.
4. Stanford Math Circle (est. 2005) — sponsored by Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies & Stanford Department of Mathematics.
5. Euler Circle (est. 2015) — taught by Simon Rubinstein-Salzedo; supported by 2 dozen Stanford teaching assistants.
6. Davis Math Circle — UC Davis student-run, volunteer-based outreach program.
7. Fremont Math Circle — operated by "MathPi Academy".
8. Nueva Math Circle — community wide event for all grade levels sponsored by The Nueva School.
9. Bay Area Teachers and Mathematicians (BATMath) — More than 300 math teachers are engaged in BATMath, with a potential impact on 30,000 students in any given year.

“Thus, MSRI created NAMC in 2008 with the intention to nurture the growth of Math Circles by seeding the creation of additional Math Circles in the USA: building a community of Math Circle leaders through which novice and existing leaders would be connected, encouraged, and inspired; providing high-quality resources that help Math Circles build and sustain effective programs; and documenting and disseminating the impact of Math Circle programs across the nation. Since its inceptions, NAMC has organized several Math Circles conferences, further developed their Math Circle website, and developed a successful grant program to launch and sustain Math Circles.”

— "The establishment and growth of Math Circles in America" (Wiegers & White, 2015)

Exhibit "A": 📝 Position Statement Of UMCF

Exhibit "B": 📝 "Friend of the Circle" Brief