Our Story
A Partnership Built Over 20 Years
The Number Lab began with a team of educators who have worked together for more than two decades. Their collaboration started in an Austin private school, where they shared a belief that math education for elementary and middle school students could be more meaningful, more rigorous, and more connected to the true discipline of mathematics.
The Need for Change in Teaching Mathematics
The founders saw firsthand that many students were learning math through procedures—not through thinking. They also observed the anxiety and negative self identity from students towards traditional mathematics curriculum. They wanted to design a learning experience where students:
build deep conceptual understanding,
develop flexible problem-solving strategies, and
use reasoning, proof, and justification as everyday tools.
Creating a New, Innovative Framework for Learning Mathematics
To support this vision, the team developed the Generative Framework—a structure that helps students connect concepts, analyze problems, and communicate mathematically sound justifications for their thinking. This framework became the backbone of their classroom practice and eventually the foundation of everything The Number Lab teaches. Eventually, this evolved into The Number Lab Number Block, which is used at Long-View Micro School each day.
Understanding the Role of Culture in Mathematics Learning
Through their work, the founders recognized a fundamental truth: classroom culture cannot be separated from school culture. The way students interact, collaborate, question, and persist is shaped by the norms and values around them. To fully realize the kind of math learning they believed in, the team knew they needed an environment intentionally built for it.
Building a School to Model the Vision
This led to the creation of Long-View Micro School, located in Austin, Texas—a 2-8 school designed to bring their assumptions about children, learning, and mathematics to life. The school became a living example of the culture, pedagogy, and instructional approaches they wanted students and teachers to experience.
Expanding the Work Beyond One School
From this foundation, Long-View Micro School emerged as a conduit for The Number Lab’s evolving learnings. Today, they work in tandem to share their research-backed approach with educators across the country through:
professional development,
curriculum thinking, and
their summer math conference, [Co]lab, designed for K–8 teachers.
Their mission remains constant: to make rigorous, joyful mathematics possible for every learner—by supporting the educators who make it happen.