Picture this: Reggie is hunched over his eighth-grade homework at the kitchen table, his brow furrowed as he rereads a math problem: “Samantha is saving money to buy a new bike. She already has $50, and she saves $15 every week. How much will she have after three weeks? After six weeks?”

He stares at the page, then glances down at his hands. Despite his efforts, he can’t seem to solve the problem without a calculator, and the numbers start to blur. Frustration begins to set in. His mom leans over and gently suggests, “Let’s break it down together.” But it’s too late. He pushes back from the table, overwhelmed. “I don’t get math,” he mutters as he storms off. “It’s not for me. I’m not going to need it anyway.”

This silent surrender is playing out in kitchens and classrooms across the Commonwealth every day. And Reggie is mistaken — he will need math, not just for passing tests but to navigate life, whether he dreams of designing homes, writing code, launching a business, or even running a kitchen, math matters. In fact, proficiency in math is one of the strongest predictors of long-term academic achievement, career success, and upward mobility — often even more so than reading scores. More importantly, learning math builds confidence, opens doors to opportunities, and promotes equity.

Massachusetts recently tied for first in the nation for the percentage of eighth graders scoring at or above proficiency in math on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). But here’s the reality behind the headline: nearly 63% of students still fall below grade-level benchmarks. When examining the data by race it’s even more concerning. While we take pride in being “number one,” that ranking applies only to white and wealthy students. If we were to rank Black and Latino students separately, Massachusetts Black students would drop to fourth place. In fact, when it comes to math performance, you are better off being a Black student in states like Tennessee and Arizona than being one in Massachusetts. For Latino students, Massachusetts ranks fifth, on par with states such as Ohio, South Carolina, and South Dakota.

This isn’t just an academic gap; it’s an opportunity gap that shuts students out of the future they deserve. When math feels inaccessible, so do careers in STEM, finance, healthcare, and the industries shaping tomorrow’s world. For too many students — especially those from underserved communities or with learning differences — math doesn’t feel like a gateway. It feels like a gate.

The reasons are layered. Yes, some are structural. But the truth is that far too many schools lack the tools to identify and support students with learning differences like dyscalculia, a condition that affects up to 7% of the population and often coexists with dyslexia. Meanwhile, many teacher preparation programs fail to equip future educators — especially those teaching in the early grades — with the deep mathematical understanding and confidence necessary to teach math effectively. Even experienced teachers are often left without access to high-quality, sustained professional development that empowers them to meet the diverse needs of their students. Additionally, teachers often lack the resources, time, and training necessary to effectively support students who have fallen behind and help them catch up, which can often compound existing challenges. This issue has become even more pronounced in the wake of pandemic-related learning loss.

However, there is another, often-overlooked reason students struggle with math: their feelings about it.

“I’m really, really struggling,” one mother shared during a recent statewide focus group. “My daughter has ADHD and autism. Math triggers her. Sometimes it leads to a full-blown crisis or even suspension. She’s only nine. Some teachers just push her to complete the work, but she hates math.”

Her story isn’t unique. Across the state, students often lack confidence in their ability to do math. This fear of being wrong, the panic of not understanding, the shame of falling behind — what educators usually call “math anxiety” — becomes a barrier. When students believe they’re not “math people,” they stop trying and disengage. The less they practice, the less confident they become. It’s a vicious cycle.

So, what can we do? We spoke with Emily Marhan, a seventh grade mathematics teacher at Keith Middle School and a 2024-2025 Teach Plus Massachusetts Policy Fellow, who shared practical strategies she uses in her classroom to help combat math anxiety and foster a growth mindset.

Empower Students by Bringing Them Into the Conversation

Too often, students are handed a test score and told to move on. But learning — real learning — happens when they’re invited into the process. That’s why I sit down with each of my students after their diagnostic tests and show them their results. Even if it says they’re performing at a third-grade level, I tell them. Not to shame. Not to discourage. But yes, I tell them — and then I tell them the truth: that number doesn’t define them. It’s just a starting point; a point on the map, not the end of the journey.

From there, we talk. We reflect. We set goals together using questions we’ll revisit all year:

• What did you notice?
• What felt easy? What felt hard?
• What do you remember from last year?
• What do you want to feel this year?

Why it matters:  These conversations change everything. When students are part of the analysis, part of the goal setting, and part of the ‘why’ they invest. They take ownership. And suddenly, that number on the screen becomes something powerful: a starting line they can choose to step across. Yes, this work takes time — more than we’re often given in the classroom. But it’s the kind of time that matters. The kind of work that goes beyond academics and should be embedded into every teacher’s professional development.

Let Them Know Risk-Taking Is Part of the Process — for Teachers, Too

In my classroom, taking risks isn’t a detour — it is the road. I tell my students, ‘It’s okay not to get it right.’ It’s okay to stumble. That’s how we learn. And I don’t just say it — I show them. We have a large population of multilingual learners, so I speak in Spanish as much as possible. Am I fluent? No. But I try every day. My accent is rough. My grammar is flawed. But I keep going. I get it wrong in front of them — and I own it. And when they see me struggle and try anyway, they begin to believe they can, too. We talk about mistakes, not as failures but as invitations to think. We slow down. We figure it out together.

Why it matters: We can’t tell students it’s okay to make mistakes if we never make any ourselves. Growth takes courage — from all of us.

Dismantling the “Math Person” Myth

When students have spent years being told — directly or indirectly — that they’re “not a math person,” and when their only feedback has been a score or a sigh, it’s no wonder they shut down. They’ve absorbed the message that math belongs to someone else.

So, I share my story. I tell them about the many nights I spent crying over math homework. I tell them, “I still remember the day in fifth grade when I sat frozen in front of a long division problem, completely lost. I just stared at the ceiling, hoping the answer would somehow come to me.” Even now, as a teacher, I still make mistakes. And I tell them: You are not alone in this. That helps us all start the school year with the same belief: math is a skill. Skills can be taught, practiced, and grown. The key is to identify areas for improvement, acknowledge that growth, and celebrate small wins.

Why it matters: We live in a world that celebrates speed — fast answers, instant results, and the polished perfection portrayed on social media. This new paradigm is further exacerbated by the pervasive use of generative AI, which can provide answers at lightning speed. However, that isn’t true learning. Learning involves courage; it requires productive struggle and perseverance. It’s about the journey of the process itself.

“Teaching foundational skills in subjects like math is layered. It’s not just about having a high-quality curriculum or effective instructional strategies. It’s also about building strong relationships, cultivating a positive mindset, and fostering a sense of ownership in students. It’s about helping students rewrite the story of what math — and learning — can mean to them.”

It’s time to stop accepting “I’m just not a math person” as a fact — because that limiting mindset is holding far too many students like Reggie back. In a world increasingly shaped by data, logic, and complex problem-solving — and with math-related careers projected to grow significantly faster than average between 2023 and 2033 — we cannot afford to let any child opt out of mathematical thinking. Every student must leave school not only equipped to solve equations or compute area and perimeter, but also confident in their ability to think critically, tackle real-world problems, and persist through intellectual challenges. Math isn’t just for the few — it’s for every future.

Photo by Katerina Holmes from Pexels

Series: Math Learning Network