Teaching math to reflect values of democracy has to begin with some consideration of how democracy is conceptualized. A review of various theories of democracy conducted by Hagen (1992) provides everyone with a good starting point as it identifies three primary forms of democracy: competitive, participatory, and dialogue. In this essay, the author begins with a premise that demonstrates values in most U.S. classrooms are consistent with characteristics of competitive democracy. Some excerpts from student interviews illustrate that point. The author will briefly discuss research in mathematics education, informed by interdisciplinary fields such as anthropology and sociology, to demonstrate the necessity of developing learning environments that embody values of participatory democracy. This is followed by an argument as to why the opportunity to "participate" is not enough by itself. It is important to build on values of participatory democracy and incorporate values of dialogue democracy in teaching mathematics. This emphasis on creating a space to dialogue about learning is critical if everyone wants to develop environments that engage a diverse range of students. Also provided is an excerpt of a conversation between two students working on a math project. It was an action research project designed specifically to examine the issues that can emerge in a learning environment aiming to incorporate discourse and values of dialogue democracy for teaching math. The author concludes by reflecting on the possibilities and constraints of developing such learning environments. (Contains 1 note.)