As the doors closed on the Children at Risk 2025 Education Summit: Chutes and Ladders of Learning, I walked away inspired, not just by the insight shared from our panelists and participants, but by the energy and urgency in the room. We didn’t just talk about literacy, numeracy, career pathways, or data, we connected those systems to the everyday experiences of educators and students across Texas.

The panelists I was honored to moderate included NCTM President Latrenda Knighten who reminded us that shifts in mathematics begins with conceptual understanding, not quick fixes. Brandi Simpson from TASM challenged us to think about the role of context to create relevance for our students, and Dr. Jie-Qi Chen from the Erikson Institute reminded us that developmental appropriateness is academic rigor when it comes to early childhood math.

The most powerful takeaways came from the educators, leaders, and advocates who asked hard questions throughout the sessions such as:

• How do we create systems that recognize and reward student growth, not just achievement?
• How do we change the narrative around “I am not a math person”?
• Where can we make changes for the future of education to anticipate what our students will need moving forward?

Let’s not wait for the next summit to move forward. Let’s keep building pathways with data, with discourse, and with each other. I look forward to continuing a powerful community of conversations amongst leaders shaping the landscape of education in Texas as well as nationally.