🛝 The Math Wars Are Back. States Are Picking Sides.

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

This week's reality check: The field of math education can't agree on how to teach math, and it matters more than usual because states are mandating "evidence-based" methods. 82% of schools reported a cyber incident in the past 18 months, and research shows 90% of school personnel carry secondary traumatic stress from the students they serve.

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💎 Data Gem

FAFSA completion is running ahead of last year. By the end of December 2025, 32.9% of high school seniors had completed the FAFSA. That's roughly 1.36 million students, up 9.8% year-over-year, according to the National College Attainment Network.

The Fight Over How to Teach Math

A position paper from the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics has reignited one of education's oldest debates: how should schools teach math?

The paper warns that the "Science of Math" movement, a group of mostly special education researchers promoting step-by-step explicit instruction, is pushing an "impoverished" approach that relegates students to mimicking their teachers. 

NCSM argues schools should instead prioritize guided inquiry, where teachers provide structure while students explore and problem-solve.

"This has been debated for over 100 years in math education in the U.S.," said Jon Star, a professor of educational psychology at Harvard. "We seem to be in one of those flare-ups."

The stakes are higher than usual. 

Nationwide math scores have flatlined after large post-pandemic drops, following more than a decade of declines. In response, more states are mandating "evidence-based" methods. What the field defines as research-backed could shape policy across the country.

Both sides agree good teaching includes some of each approach. 

But they can't agree on the sequence or the balance. And that's the problem: teachers are caught in the middle with little practical guidance.

"Too often, recommendations for a 'balanced' approach lack the depth and specificity needed to effectively guide educators," a group of cognitive psychologists and special education researchers wrote in a recent paper.

"We as a field could be better at guiding teachers toward what that mix looks like," Star said.

For innovators, the opportunity sits in that gap. States are mandating evidence-based math instruction but the field hasn't produced clear guidance on how to blend explicit instruction and inquiry. 

Curriculum tools that sequence both approaches with specificity could find traction as districts face pressure to show results.

82% of Schools Have Been Hit by a Cyberattack

In an 18-month period, 82% of K-12 schools reported a cyber incident, according to a report from the Center for Internet Security. 

Ransomware and phishing attacks are among the most common, and the volume is rising year over year.

The financial toll is severe. In 2024, the average ransomware recovery cost for K-12 schools was $2.28 million. 

That's the highest among all targeted sectors.

Attacks are also getting more sophisticated. Threat groups have shifted from simple network disruption to exploiting the third-party cloud services schools rely on daily. 

Schools hold student records, financial information, and health data, making them attractive targets for identity theft and data resale. But most districts are under-resourced to defend against these threats. 

Limited IT staffing, constrained budgets, and a mix of legacy and newer systems make implementing consistent protections difficult.

When breaches happen, it doesn't just expose sensitive data. It undermines trust with parents and triggers compliance issues on top of the recovery costs.

Schools are the most expensive sector to recover from ransomware, yet they have some of the smallest cybersecurity budgets. There's demand for affordable, school-specific security tools that account for shared devices, cloud-heavy environments, and minimal IT staff. 

Products that simplify monitoring across third-party platforms and help districts detect threats before they escalate could address the most urgent need.

90% of School Staff Experience Secondary Traumatic Stress. The System Has No Fix.

Teachers don't just carry their own stress. They absorb their students'.

The term "secondary traumatic stress" describes the emotional toll of hearing about and responding to another person's trauma. 

In schools, it's nearly unavoidable. A study found that over 90% of school personnel reported some degree of secondary traumatic stress, and nearly half experienced it at severe levels.

Students' trauma shows up in behavior, attendance, and silence. It shows up when a child slams a Chromebook, refuses to work, or melts down. 

Teachers listen, absorb, and respond, all while managing lesson plans, IEPs, and the unspoken expectation to keep it together.

"Preventing Secondary Traumatic Stress in Educators" study published in the School Mental Health journal, reported that nearly half of educators experience some level of STS, with symptoms ranging from insomnia to emotional numbness.

The system's response has been limited. Professional development on trauma-informed practices exists, but it typically focuses on recognizing trauma in students, not addressing it in the adults who serve them. 

When school wellness programs do emerge, they're often informal and unsustained.

For innovators, the gap is between awareness and infrastructure. Schools know educator trauma is a problem but lack sustainable systems to address it. There's demand for trauma-informed professional development that starts with adults, not just students, and for peer support platforms that can be maintained without requiring dedicated staff.

⚡️More Quick Hits

This week in education:

• Google Education Suite adds AI detection features — New security and AI detection tools rolled out for school platforms

• Teaching SEL in 2026 requires new approaches — Education Week explores how schools are adapting social-emotional learning to current challenges

• Senator sounds alarm on college math readiness — Federal attention turns to whether students are prepared for college-level math

• 23 states opt into federal school choice tax credit — Growing adoption of education savings account programs across the country

To stay up-to-date on all things education innovation, visit us at playgroundpost.com.