The Texas Education Agency released its Spring 2025 STAAR results last week, and the numbers tell a familiar story: students are making gains in reading, while math proficiency continues to lag. According to the Texas Tribune, reading and language arts scores across grades three through eight have now exceeded pre-pandemic levels. That success is no coincidence. It’s the result of years of hard work by educators and long-overdue investments in early literacy, including full-day Pre-K and Reading Academies, which public school advocates and unions like Texas AFT fought to make happen.
But while reading has rebounded, math remains in crisis. Statewide, just 43% of students met grade-level expectations in math, a slight improvement over last year, but still far below 2019 levels. In many districts, the gap is even wider for students from working-class families and underfunded schools. A recent analysis found that students in wealthier districts are recovering faster, while economically disadvantaged students continue to face systemic barriers to success. That right, money matter.
This isn’t just about test scores. The math gap reflects deeper issues: overcrowded classrooms, inconsistent curriculum, and a lack of sustained, targeted support for math instruction. While lawmakers have offered pilot programs and one-time funds, they’ve failed to deliver the long-term commitment our students need, and that educators have been demanding for years.
Let’s be clear: educators, not bureaucrats, are the reason reading scores have recovered. And it’s educators, if given the resources, training, and respect they deserve, who will lead the way in closing the math gap too.