🛝 Uncertified Teachers Problem, Students Ditch CS for Stats, Districts Wing AI Policy

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

This week's reality check: What started as an emergency stopgap for teacher shortages has become a long-term crisis costing students months of learning. Meanwhile, high schoolers are betting their futures on data analysis over coding, and most districts still don't have AI policies - even as teachers use the tools daily.

💎 Data Gem

97% of test takers sat a digital SAT in 2025, and participation topped 2 million - the first increase since 2020, according to College Board's SAT Suite Program Results.

How Uncertified Teachers Went From Stopgap to Escalating Crisis

The share of uncertified teachers nationwide climbed from 6.1% in 2015-16 to 6.9% in 2020-21. 

But that understates the problem.

Among early-career educators - those in their first three years - a quarter lacked full certification in 2020-21. 

In Florida, it's now 14% of all teachers. In Texas, nearly a third.

Texas offers the clearest picture of what happens when emergency measures become permanent. The state's Districts of Innovation program was designed to let schools hire content experts for specialized courses like agriculture or welding.

The program led to an explosion of uncertified teachers, increasing from 13,000 in 2019-20 to 42,000 in 2024-25. 

Nearly every district in the state now employs them, many teaching core subjects.

The research is concerning. 

Students taught by uncertified teachers lost the equivalent of six months of learning in English, four months in math and social studies, and two months in science compared to those taught by fully certified teachers from university programs.

Uncertified teachers also quit at nearly double the rate of certified ones, creating a cyclical staffing problem.

Texas is now scrambling with an $8.5 billion overhaul that includes permanent teacher raises, hiring bonuses, and a requirement that all core academic teachers become certified by 2030. 

For education companies, the implications are clear. Districts need certification pathways that prepare teachers in high-quality programs.

The data suggests that quality matters - shortcuts in preparation lead to measurable learning loss and higher turnover. Solutions that combine rigorous training with mentorship and ongoing support could address a market need affecting hundreds of thousands of classrooms.

AI Is Changing What High School STEM Students Study

"Learn to code" used to be the mantra for every STEM-minded teenager. 

Not anymore.

Computer science, computer engineering, and information degrees awarded in the US and Canada fell 5.5% in 2023-2024, according to the Computing Research Association.

High schoolers are making a calculated bet: if AI can code, why spend four years learning to do what machines already handle? 

The shift is visible in course selection data.

AP Statistics logged 264,262 exam registrations in 2024, making it one of the most-requested AP tests. AP Computer Science still draws big numbers - 175,261 took AP Computer Science Principles - but the trend is clear.

Students are moving toward fields that blend computing with analysis, interpretation, and data. 

At Manhattan Village Academy in New York, assistant principal Benjamin Rubenstein has watched this unfold over 20 years. His school now pairs data literacy with purpose: an Applied Mathematics class where students analyze NYPD data to propose policy changes.

"Students who see themselves as STEM people will pursue whatever they think makes them a commodity," Rubenstein told Wired. "The workplace can shift education by saying, 'Here's what we need from students.' K-12 will follow suit."

Teachers are scrambling to adapt. 

At the University of Georgia, researcher Xiaoming Zhai is building "multi-agent classroom systems" - AI assistants that model scientific inquiry. He describes a visiting scholar with no coding experience who used generative AI to build a functioning science simulation.

"The bar for coding has been lowered," Zhai said. "The real skill now is integrating AI with your own discipline."

The market signal for education innovators: content and tools focused on data literacy, statistical thinking, and AI integration across subjects may see growing demand as students and schools recognize that understanding how to use AI matters more than competing with it.

How School Districts Are Crafting AI Policy on the Fly

Nearly half of teachers, principals, and district leaders say their district or school does not have an AI policy, according to an EdWeek Research Center survey. 

Another 16% said their current policy doesn't establish meaningful guardrails.

Only two states - Ohio and Tennessee - require comprehensive AI policies.

Yet teachers are already using AI. 

The challenge is that it's hard to write policy around such fast-evolving technology. Some districts are finding workarounds. 

Arlington Public Schools in Virginia uses a "living document" framework instead of a formal policy. An AI steering committee collects feedback from parents and staff, meets every other week, and updates guidance on the district website immediately - no board approval needed.

The framework is organized into sections on teaching and learning, equity, privacy, and security. Changes can happen within days.

Tucson Unified School District in Arizona took a different approach. Senior director Tracey Metcalfe Rowley formed a 40-person task force - anyone who wanted to join could participate - to create AI guidelines that became the basis for board-approved policy.

"AI is impacting everybody," Rowley said. "We had a lot of people who worked for the district who were also parents, so they brought that perspective in."

Both districts emphasize that policies need flexibility and must be paired with professional development. 

Tucson offers basic courses for beginners and specialized training for specific roles. 

Arlington made basic AI training mandatory this year.

The takeaway for companies building AI education tools: districts need help not just with the technology itself, but with implementation frameworks that can evolve quickly. Solutions that include policy templates, training modules, and ongoing support for adapting to new AI capabilities could fill a clear gap as schools try to guide usage without stifling innovation.

⚡️More Quick Hits

This week in education:

• Texas teachers use AI without guidance  -  Survey shows widespread AI adoption by teachers, especially in math, but uneven training and policy creates governance gap

• Amazon and CMU launch AI hub  -  Partnership creates innovation hub for generative AI and emerging technology collaboration

• Family-school alignment improves outcomes  -  Analysis shows children thrive when teachers and parents coordinate as allies rather than adversaries

• Education research needs faster data cycles  -  After IES cuts, 400+ comments urge the Education Department to accelerate data cycles and better translate findings into practice

📚 Weekend Reads

Monthly roundup of resources you might like:

• Academic Recovery Still Elusive — Data showing students need 4.8 additional months in reading and 4.3 months in math to reach pre-pandemic levels.

• Current Term Enrollment Estimates — Spring 2025 undergraduate enrollment up 3.5% to 15.3 million students, with community colleges leading the resurgence at 5.4% growth

• Educator Pay Rankings 2024-25 — State-by-state analysis showing average teacher salary reached $74,177, yet inflation has teachers earning 5% less than a decade ago

• Public Confidence in Schools — Record-low public approval with only 13% giving schools an A or B grade, and 59% of parents preferring private school options with public funds

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