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Start with the Child
I know you’re a mathematics educator.
But pause for a second.
Are you teaching mathematics—or teaching students?
There is a difference.
One is content-centered. The other is child-centered.
When we lead with content, children feel pressure.
When we lead with children, children feel possibility.
You can have the best tasks, the right manipulatives, the strongest standards alignment—and still lose children if you forget who they are.
The mathematics will come.
Start with the child.
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Dr. Kristopher J. Childs shares the following push for action based on his powerful words above:
- Ask the children under your purview to tell you something non-math related about themselves.
- Use what you learn to connect your next lesson to their lives.
- Reflect on whether the lesson plan or the learners drive your daily classroom decisions?
Someone in your educator circle needs this reminder today - please pass it on.
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30-Day Count Me In Challenge
For too long, too many people have been made to feel like they’re “not math people,” like math belongs to someone else. But the truth is simple: the world runs on numbers and confidence with numbers is power. So what might change if everyone felt more confident with numbers?
Starting today, April 1st, Counted Out is launching a new way to reconnect with math as creative, human, fun, and essential through small daily moments.
Through these moments of discovery and action, individuals begin building a new relationship with math that is rooted in possibility. Some days will be playful. Some practical. A few might even challenge our ideas about the ways numbers show up in the world around us. There are no tests, no grades, and no pressure. Just thoughtful daily prompts designed to gently shift how we think about math.
Ready to get mathier in a month? Sign up and please share this challenge far and wide so that Wisconsin educators, families, and community members can join in building a healthier relationship with math!
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Mathematical Musings Bog Relaunch
Have you missed reading or being part of the conversations about standards, curriculum and teaching that were hosted by Bill McCallum in years past? Or is this blog description new to you as a teacher of mathematics? Either way, don’t miss the relaunch of Mathematical Musings! Bill’s welcome post says it all. “The focus is the same as it always was: specific examples, particular problems, classroom moments, questions about curriculum and teaching—and the occasional piece of mathematics I find beautiful. The founding principle is dialog. I’m not interested in winning arguments; I’m interested in the moments when two people who see things differently discover something neither of them could have found alone”. You can subscribe to Mathematical Musings by using this link.
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Early Learning Updates
Student Achievement Partners (SAP) has recently published Guidelines for Pre-K High Quality Instructional Materials to support educators in building a research-grounded, shared understanding of Pre-K materials quality. While committed to providing guidance around a learning experience that develops the whole child, one of the nine guidelines discussed is Building Knowledge through Content-Rich Instruction and specifically includes early mathematics (3a). The ideas in this resource grew from a research review, landscape scan of existing instructional materials, and deep listening in conversation with experts across the field, including teachers, district and state leaders, researchers, professors, and content area experts. Get the Guidelines and the Summary here, informed by Wisconsin’s own Dr. DeAnn Huinker from UW Milwaukee as a member of the project’s Advisory Board.
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2026 WMC 25+ Year Award
Each year, the Wisconsin Mathematics Council (WMC) honors individuals who have been active in mathematics education in Wisconsin for 25 or more years as teachers, administrators, coaches, or leaders. Does this describe you? WMC wants to celebrate you!
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Anyone who has served the state mathematics education community for at least 25 years by the end of the current school year and who has not previously received this non-competitive award is eligible. Honorees are acknowledged at the “Celebrate WMC” reception at the Annual Conference in Green Lake, WI.
More information, including the application form, can be found on the WMC 25+ Year Award website.
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Website Improvements and Accessibility
As part of the Department of Public Instruction’s strategic plan and commitment to modernizing and improving the agency and in preparation for the April 24, 2026, Title II ADA digital accessibility deadline, our department is currently undertaking a major update to our external website (dpi.wi.gov)
Over the next several months, you will notice changes to portions of our website, including updates to information and various resources. During this transition, some resources or information may be temporarily unavailable on our website or relocated as we review, revise, and remediate content to meet accessibility standards.
These improvements are part of our commitment to making our website and materials more usable for you and fully accessible to all. We understand how important these resources are to your work, and ensuring they are accessible to everyone is our primary focus during this effort.
Please contact Julie.Bormett@dpi.wi.gov or Mary.Mooney@dpi.wi.gov if you are unable to locate a resource you need or have questions about information that may have been moved or temporarily unavailable during this update.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete this important update.
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Future Opportunities
Registration Deadline - April 9th
April 25th Math in the Forest at UWSP Treehaven, Tomahawk; 9am-3pm
Join LEAF - Wisconsin's K-12 Forestry Education Program and Kevin Freitag, a math teacher for Birchwood School District, for this hands-on workshop for high school math teachers focused on outdoor applications of algebra, geometry and trigonometry. In addition to inspiring ideas, you'll also get mathematics-related lesson materials to take back to your classroom. Participants will use geometry to understand the mathematics behind making and using a Biltmore stick to measure tree diameter, and will make their own Biltmore stick and use it to collect data in the forest. Other topics will include basal area per acre, wildlife population estimates, and land measurement. The $60 cost includes lunch. Go to leafprogram.org/math26 to register for this event.
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April 23, 2026
College Readiness in Math Symposium Virtual Conversation; 4-5:30pm
Hosted by the Office of Professional Learning and Community Engagement (PLACE) at UW–Madison’s School of Education, the College Readiness in Math Symposium learnings are now available on their website, including keynote presentations, a panel discussion, and a note catcher to support reflection as you watch. This symposium brought together educators, administrators, and researchers to examine what “college readiness” in mathematics means today, and how we can better align high school and college systems to support student success. Continue the conversation by registering at the link above to join a live virtual discussion via Zoom on April 23rd at 4pm CST.
Proposal Deadline - May 1, 2026
Data Science Education K-12 Conference, February 2027, Atlanta
Do you work with middle or high school students who have explored a question using data? Encourage them to submit a proposal to present at the 2027 Data Science Education K–12 Conference.
Students can share projects from or perspectives on class, clubs, research, or community investigations. They don’t need advanced math or programming experience—organizers are looking for authentic student perspectives on how data is used and how data science can improve in schools. Selected students will present to educators, researchers, and industry leaders and help shape the future of data science education. Learn more by viewing the Call for Student Proposals.
Applircation Open Until May 1, 2026
New Item Review - August 3-5th In-Person Meetings in Pewaukee
DPI is currently recruiting Wisconsin educators to participate in “New Item Review” in-person meetings for the Forward Exam. During the item review, Wisconsin educators will come together to review newly created Forward Exam questions for content, grade level appropriateness, alignment to correct standard, cultural inclusivity, and bias/sensitivity issues prior to placement on the exam. More information, including how to apply, is available on the Forward Exam Educators Involvement webpage.
May 6-8, 2026
WMC Annual Conference: Curiosity Counts - In-Person, Green Lake
The Wisconsin Mathematics Council (WMC) is excited for the 58th Annual Conference on May 6-7. The WMC Post-Conference will be held on Friday, May 8th with full day sessions led by national speakers. The theme for this year's conference is Curiosity Counts. As one Wisconsin mathematics community, let's activate the curiosity of all students! The full program and detailed information, including registration can be found here.
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