What do kindergarten counting concepts have to do with high school algebra? More than most teachers realize. In this episode, Joanie and Curtis sit down with Erin Wahler-Cleveland, founder of Roots and Wings Math, to explore how deep understanding of early and elementary mathematics lays the groundwork for everything that comes later — and what teachers at every grade level can do to better support that understanding.

Erin opens with a thought-provoking coordinate-plane framework that distinguishes between easy/hard (subjective) and simple/complex (objective). The key insight? As we gain expertise, complex things start to feel simple — and that's exactly what makes teaching so hard. Early numeracy lives in the easy yet complex quadrant, and its depth is routinely underestimated by the adults who teach it.

We discuss important instructional shifts for teachers at every level, and land on an important key takeaway: The central challenge of teaching mathematics is maintaining awareness of a complexity that has become invisible through expertise. The remedy — at both elementary and secondary levels — is giving teachers genuine learner experiences with the content they teach, paired with disciplined questioning practices that reveal student thinking rather than assume it.

Resources & Links Mentioned

• Roots and Wings Math – https://www.rootsandwingsmath.com/
• The Dunning-Kruger Effect - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
• Room to Grow Podcast – www.roomtogrowmath.com

In this episode of Room to Grow, Ali Martinez, Chief Program Officer for Math at Student Achievement Partners (SAP), joins Joanie and Curtis for a conversation about the math that matters. In the current era, math teachers face too much content and too little time to feel or be effective in allowing students the chance to learn math deeply.

Aly shared information about SAP’s national initiative to identify essential mathematics content for high school, and to integrate data science competencies. The work builds on COVID-era prioritization efforts and aims to address curriculum overload through systems-level change involving standards revision, instructional materials alignment, and cross-sector collaboration.

The conversation acknowledges and elevates the role of durable skills, the rising importance of data literacy, and the need for systemic change to realize these desired outcomes.

Be sure to check out these resources, referenced in this month’s episode.

• Learn more and stay in touch with Math that Matters resource: https://learnwithsap.org/math-that-matters/
• Durable skills in math https://learnwithsap.org/durableskills/
• High School redesign: https://learnwithsap.org/overlap-to-opportunity/
• Research into high school math textbooks https://learnwithsap.org/math/a-rare-look-inside-high-school-math-textbooks-and-what-publishers-say-needs-to-change/
• Coherence Map from Student Achievement Partners
• Data Science for Everyone website

In this episode, Curtis and Joanie sit down with Mahmoud Harding from Data Science 4 Everyone (www.ds4e.com) to explore the growing role of data science in K-12 education.

Mahmoud breaks down the key distinction between data science and data literacy — two terms that are often used interchangeably but carry very different meanings for educators and students alike.

The conversation dives into why data science matters for all educators right now, regardless of subject area or grade level, and why the time to act is today. And taking action doesn’t mean you need math expertise or to steer away from the standards and curriculum your students need to know!

Mahmoud also shares practical, accessible ways teachers can get started with data-centered lessons in their classrooms — regardless of grade level or content area.

Whether you're a curious educator or ready to dive in, this episode will leave you inspired to bring data to life for your students.

Resources:

● https://www.datascience4everyone.org/about (DS4E Homepage)

● https://www.datascience4everyone.org/resources (DS4E Resources)

● https://ds4e-org.github.io/CPN_rubric/ (DS4E Content Partner Network)

● https://ds4e-org.github.io/technologytoolkit/ (DS4E Technology Tools for working with data)

● https://datasciencelearning.org/ (K12 Data Science Learning Progressions)

● https://datasciencelearning.org/blog/five-basic-concepts-for-teachers-new-to-data-science (DS4E Blog: Five basic concepts for teachers new to data science)

● https://hkurzweil.github.io/ds4e-teacher-pd/frontmatter.html (DS4E Data Science Starter Kit)