W/A VP Hillary Knudson, who leads the National Math Improvement Project, is filling in for Ben this week.

What does it really mean to be fluent in math? 

For many of us, fluency conjures memories of timed tests, flashcards, and the nagging uncertainty of whether 7 × 8 is 54 or 56. But fluency is not about drill-and-kill worksheets or memorizing facts under pressure.  As Dr. Jennifer Bay-Williams put it during our recent webinar, “Memorization is for phone numbers, not math class.” 

Instead, fluency is about building the number sense and reasoning strategies that help students approach problems flexibly, efficiently, and accurately. It’s knowing when to rely on a strategy, how to adapt when stuck, and how to make sense of math rather than just repeat it back. 

That has big implications for classrooms and systems. “I don’t want to ever strand my students on an island with no strategy to get to an answer,” said Alanna Mertens, a K-5 mathematics manager at Chicago Public Schools. Dr. Laura Glass, assistant commissioner of the New York State Education Department, emphasized that “[pictorial and physical] representations can’t be underestimated. They help students access the math and build sense-making.” And Dr. Dia Bryant, facilitator of the National Math Improvement Project, reminded us that “binaries are only good for coding. Math fluency is not speed versus understanding—it’s both.”

Momentum is growing across the country. Chicago doubled down on district-wide fluency work. New York is centering fluency in its numeracy initiative. And states including Kentucky, Alabama, and Maryland are prioritizing math learning through legislation and policy. Together, these shifts highlight both the urgency and the opportunity: moving away from rote recall doesn’t lower expectations. It reduces anxiety, builds confidence, and opens the door to higher-level math.

As Mertens put it, “We’ve got a big groundswell coming up of people really understanding math as a joyful experience.” That’s a vision worth celebrating—and one that’s taking hold in schools nationwide.

You can view the recording and read the Fluency Primer on the National Math Improvement Project website. 

As state legislative sessions begin, K-12 education continues to be a top agenda item across the country. A review of thousands of bills for upcoming sessions point to several clear priorities—and some emerging issues—that will shape discussions in education committee meetings. 

Stay tuned: We’re tracking how state K-12 priorities evolve as bills move through committees and governors weigh in. Please reach out to our Research Team with any questions.

Superintendents say their jobs feel less stressful in 2025 compared to recent years, according to a new RAND Corporation survey. But the relief is uneven, and many leaders—especially in smaller districts—are questioning whether the role is worth it.

Superintendents across district sizes say they want to focus on instruction, data, and family engagement. Instead, small-district leaders spend the most time on facilities and budgets; large-district leaders devote the most time to school board communication.

RAND found wide gaps between how superintendents actually spend their days and how they believe they should.

The survey underscores a growing mismatch between priorities and practice: superintendents want to focus on teaching and learning, but external pressures keep them tied up in budgets, facilities, and politics. The drop in small-district leaders who say the job is worth it highlights potential leadership pipeline risks, especially outside major metros. [K-12 Dive] 

Integrations are a constant uphill battle for many companies serving K–12 education. Engineering teams spend hours building custom SIS connections instead of innovating. Sales teams face adoption friction. Customer success teams scramble to fix issues that frustrate users.

Join Clever for a webinar, where executives, technical leaders, and district decision-makers will dive into how integrations can become a strategic advantage rather than a bottleneck.

Featured Panelists:

On Wednesday, the Education Department announced the official launch of the 2026-27 FAFSA form, seven days ahead of the historic (and congressionally mandated) October 1 deadline. The effort to realize the promise of the “Better FAFSA”—one that is easier and faster to file—has spanned two administrations. This year’s beta testing period also had promising results, with 97% of respondents reporting satisfaction with the new FAFSA form, and 90% reporting that the form took a reasonable amount of time to complete.

“I am extremely proud to announce the earliest launch of the FAFSA form in history, which ensures American students and families have access to critical resources as they begin or continue their postsecondary education journey,” said Education Secretary McMahon in the official press release.

“This is great news for students who will have adequate time to complete the form and secure all the financial assistance they are eligible for,” said Kim Cook, CEO of the National College Attainment Network (NCAN). “We applaud the team’s efforts and look forward to achieving record FAFSA completion numbers.” [CNBC]

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and College Board’s 2025 New Hire Readiness Report, the majority of hiring managers feel high school students are not prepared to enter the workforce (84%), and recent high school grads are less prepared than previous generations (80%).

The hiring managers surveyed also noted that “soft skills” like critical thinking and communication are important for entry-level workers, and that they see industry-recognized credentials as a valuable proof point for career readiness—71% of high school graduates with a credential are seen as workforce-ready, compared to 40% without them. [K-12 Dive]

Student loan borrowers in default are preparing to have the government withhold up to 15% of their wages. More than 2 million borrowers are at immediate risk of wage garnishment, with another 1 million to 2 million likely to default in the coming months. According to Stand Together Trust’s Steve Taylor, borrowers can ease the burden of repayment by negotiating a repayment plan, some of which are specifically scaled for low-income borrowers.

“It’s important that borrowers stay engaged with their servicers and begin making payments because ignoring loans only increases the risk of falling into collections,” said Taylor. [Fortune, subscription model]

Check out W/A Jobs, which features 3,399 career opportunities from 312 organizations across the education industry. A few roles that caught our eye over the past week: