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Learning, up close
We take ideas seriously, with classes built around discussion, collaboration, and problem-solving. Students are known well enough for teachers to support and stretch them. At Proof, curiosity shapes the day, and students struggle meaningfully — together rather than on their own.
Small by design
We started small, and we saw how much that matters. Students learn with peers younger and older, friendships form across grade levels, and students step into leadership naturally. When we think about growing our school, we first ask what makes our kind of community possible.
Thinking, seeing & growing
through mathematics…
…with plenty of time to “struggle with it” ™
Real understanding takes patience, and the willingness to stick with it. Students grapple with unfamiliar problems, derive results, and write formal proofs. Extended class time makes room for inquiry and focus — across the school, we care far more about thinking well than moving quickly.
Love math?
There are many ways to love math. The students who thrive with us enjoy puzzles and patterns, explain their thinking, and care deeply about why things work. A student who excels at computation may still find our math challenging in a different way. At Proof, we value reasoning, clarity, and persistence.
We take ideas seriously, not ourselves.
Outside the classroom
Our space is new, but our culture isn’t. Since our first year, students have rushed to the ping pong table at break, taken sides in good-natured flame wars, and gathered across grade levels to play The Resistance. Out of the classroom, it feels like recess. We keep the work hard and the atmosphere light.
Outreach
Part of our mission is to positively impact the world around us. We run math festivals and a summer camp, and we host the San Francisco math teacher’s circle, giving Bay Area educators a bevy of professional development opportunities.
Not a school where everything happens,
but a school where anything is possible.
Mia, 8th grade
Favorite math class so far has been…
Algebra 2b. I learned a lot and the way the class was formatted made it fun.
Find me at break...
Chatting with my friends + eating their food. :-)
What about the commute?
One thing I recommend is kind of getting into a rhythm with the commute. I chat with my friends and maybe do a little bit of homework while I'm on public transportation. If you have other Proofniks on your bus, train, or other modes of transportation, it’s fun to chat with them!
Pasha, 9th grade
If not math, then…
Music! I appreciate the ability of music to say anything without saying anything.
Find me at break...
Playing table tennis or on the climbing wall.
What makes Proof School?
The community and the great teachers
What about the commute?
I ride Caltrain. It’s long, but when you have friends on the way with you, it's a lot of fun!
Tori, 12th grade
My favorite math class was…
Symmetries and Orbifolds. Never would I ever have thought that tiling wallpapers and pretty pictures could be so mathematically oriented. I love being able to create things that looked cool, and then lift the hood and find a world of mathematical rigor and implications for other fields like linear algebra.
Find me at break...
Chatting with friends and eating Trader Joe’s snacks!
I want prospective families to know…
If you love math, this is the place for you! If you're not sure about math yet, that's okay too! Proof is more for students who love learning: dive deep into niche topics and explore what you're interested in. (If you're still unconvinced, ponder this: our art teacher last year turned a giant shark stuffed animal into a bag per a student's request.)
