In this episode, Anna Stokke speaks with Dr. Ben Solomon, professor and researcher at the University at Albany with expertise in math assessment and intervention. Ben returns to the podcast to discuss “balanced math” and the recently released New York math briefs, which are part of the state’s numeracy initiative, and are set to shape professional development across New York.

He explains why he and his colleagues launched a petition calling for the retraction of the briefs, pointing to omissions, misleading claims, and misuse of the term “evidence based.” They also unpack common math myths, such as the claim that timed tests cause math anxiety, and highlight the importance of explicit instruction while drawing parallels to balanced literacy and the reading wars.