🛝 Students Checking Out, Reading by Parents, New Teacher Credentialing

Welcome to Playground Post, a bi-weekly newsletter that keeps education innovators ahead of what's next.

Here's what we have on deck for today…

• Students Are Checking Out During Math Class.

• Parents Have Stopped Reading to Their Kids

• Half of New Teachers Don't Have Credentials

Students Are Checking Out During Math Class. Here's What They Actually Want Instead

RAND just dropped a survey of 724 students that confirms what teachers already suspect: 49% of middle and high schoolers lose interest during math lessons about half the time or more.

But here's where it gets interesting.

The students who stay engaged share six traits:

• Understand the material

• Feel supported by their teacher

• Have confidence that they can succeed

• Actually enjoy math

• Believe math matters

• See themselves as "a math person."

A majority of the most bored students want fewer online math activities and more real-world problems.

The opportunity here is massive for innovators who can bridge the engagement gap. Think adaptive learning platforms that feel less like digital worksheets and more like solving real problems.

Parents Have Stopped Reading to Their Kids. The Numbers Are Shocking

In 2012, nearly two-thirds of parents read to their young kids regularly. But today, it's barely 40%. Meanwhile, 3-year-olds are averaging 150 minutes of screen time daily. The shift isn't just about busy schedules.

Gen Z parents, the first true digital natives raising kids, increasingly see reading as "a subject to learn" rather than something fun. Only 40% of parents surveyed by HarperCollins UK enjoy reading to their children.

The ripple effects are brutal. Kids who aren't read to daily are three times less likely to pick up books independently. By age 13, only 14% of American kids read for fun, down from 27% a decade ago.

Innovators can help by building reading experiences that actually compete with YouTube and TikTok, creating 15-minute daily reading programs that fit into chaotic parent schedules, or designing digital libraries that bring books to families instead of waiting for families to find them.

Half of New Teachers Don't Have Credentials. Texas Just Said "Enough"

By 2030, uncertified teachers in Texas will not be able to teach core subjects in public schools anymore. The numbers explain why. Half of Texas's new hires lack credentials but research shows that students with uncertified teachers fall behind three months in math and four months in reading in just one year.

Meanwhile, California's credential requirements are so strict that they're actually driving teachers away. New Jersey split the difference with a "limited" certification that lets teachers start working while finishing requirements, but schools can only use it for 10% of staff.

Schools desperately need solutions that can turn paraprofessionals, substitutes, and career-changers into quality teachers, especially for math, science, and special ed. Programs like Rivet and TeachStart are already proving this model.

We'll be back with another edition on Tuesday. See you then!

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