This year’s State of the State addresses had a clear theme: jobs, workforce, and economic competitiveness. Governors across the country outlined plans to expand apprenticeships, strengthen career pathways, and prepare their future workforce for in-demand fields.
But there was a striking omission.
The single most foundational skill behind those goals—math—was barely mentioned.
At a moment when math scores are at historic lows and demand for math-based skills is only rising, Governors are not talking nearly enough about the role math education plays in shaping a competitive workforce.
The Education Commission of the States has a helpful compilation of addresses which shows only 10 Governors referenced math or numeracy at all. Just four—Maine, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Virginia—described an actionable strategy to improve math teaching and learning. That simply doesn’t add up.
To be clear, the absence of a specific reference in a State of the State address does not mean states are ignoring math entirely. But it does reveal something important: Governors are not using one of their most visible platforms to elevate math as a priority, connect it to the workforce goals they are championing, or reinforce the message that every student can and should be a math person.
Even in states where Governors drew connections between education and workforce readiness, most missed the essential role of early and sustained math learning. Too many students are graduating high school without meeting state proficiency expectations, even as STEM roles are growing three times faster than non-STEM jobs and offer median salaries well above the national average. When research shows that math achievement in school is closely tied to long-term economic opportunity, it’s apparent that states need to be serious about implementing a plan to improve student learning in math.
If Governors are serious about workforce readiness, math cannot remain an afterthought. Fortunately, state leaders have clear, research-backed strategies that can raise student achievement by: :
- Expanding access to high-quality instructional materials.
- Providing educators with high-quality professional learning aligned to those materials.
- Increasing instructional time before, during, and after school.
- Automatically enrolling students into advanced math courses when they’re ready.
- Holding teacher preparation programs accountable for equipping teachers with strong math skills and mindsets.
- Leveraging math coaches to help teachers deepen their practice and improve instruction.
Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington are a few of the states that have already taken the strong step to adopt automatic enrollment policies — and results have been promising. In Texas, for example, students traditionally underrepresented in advanced math courses, like Black and Hispanic students, have seen a 25-percentage point increase in honors enrollment. Automatic enrollment helps ensure students have access to challenging courses without barriers, expanding access to math pathways.
These are actionable, scalable steps Governors can champion today—steps that will directly support stronger student outcomes and a stronger future workforce. States that prioritize math early will be the ones best positioned to attract employers, meet labor market demand, and ensure that every student has access to high-wage, high-opportunity pathways.
America needs more math champions. Governors have the platform to elevate math as a statewide priority—and now is the moment to do it. To explore resources, data, and solutions that can help accelerate this work, join us by signing up for our newsletter and learn more about what states can do to help students.
The Math Problem Governors Aren’t Talking About
This year’s State of the State addresses had a clear theme: jobs, workforce, and economic competitiveness. Governors across the country outlined plans to expand apprenticeships, strengthen career pathways, and prepare their future workforce for in-demand fields.
But there was a striking omission.
The single most foundational skill behind those goals—math—was barely mentioned.
At a moment when math scores are at historic lows and demand for math-based skills is only rising, Governors are not talking nearly enough about the role math education plays in shaping a competitive workforce.
The Education Commission of the States has a helpful compilation of addresses which shows only 10 Governors referenced math or numeracy at all. Just four—Maine, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Virginia—described an actionable strategy to improve math teaching and learning. That simply doesn’t add up.
To be clear, the absence of a specific reference in a State of the State address does not mean states are ignoring math entirely. But it does reveal something important: Governors are not using one of their most visible platforms to elevate math as a priority, connect it to the workforce goals they are championing, or reinforce the message that every student can and should be a math person.
Even in states where Governors drew connections between education and workforce readiness, most missed the essential role of early and sustained math learning. Too many students are graduating high school without meeting state proficiency expectations, even as STEM roles are growing three times faster than non-STEM jobs and offer median salaries well above the national average. When research shows that math achievement in school is closely tied to long-term economic opportunity, it’s apparent that states need to be serious about implementing a plan to improve student learning in math.
If Governors are serious about workforce readiness, math cannot remain an afterthought. Fortunately, state leaders have clear, research-backed strategies that can raise student achievement by: :
Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington are a few of the states that have already taken the strong step to adopt automatic enrollment policies — and results have been promising. In Texas, for example, students traditionally underrepresented in advanced math courses, like Black and Hispanic students, have seen a 25-percentage point increase in honors enrollment. Automatic enrollment helps ensure students have access to challenging courses without barriers, expanding access to math pathways.
These are actionable, scalable steps Governors can champion today—steps that will directly support stronger student outcomes and a stronger future workforce. States that prioritize math early will be the ones best positioned to attract employers, meet labor market demand, and ensure that every student has access to high-wage, high-opportunity pathways.
America needs more math champions. Governors have the platform to elevate math as a statewide priority—and now is the moment to do it. To explore resources, data, and solutions that can help accelerate this work, join us by signing up for our newsletter and learn more about what states can do to help students.
Adam Ezring
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