Abi was in 10th grade when a teacher disovered something basic that no test had caught: she couldn't add and subtract negative numbers. One number line later, everything changed.

In episode 1 of What Counts, we go inside math classrooms to ask a question we rarely connect to math education: What do relationships have to do with learning math? Teachers share why trust and student voice drive achievement, engagement, and even teacher retention... and why the system still treats relationships like an optional add-on.

What Counts is presented by Impact Florida and produced by De LeCourt.

Somewhere along the way in math class, a lot of students stop saying "this is hard" and start saying "I'm not a math person."

Episode 2 explores why math carries so much emotional weight, and how a few words can shape what students believe about themselves for years. Florida teachers share what they've learned about shame, silence, and the "armor" students bring into math class… and how listening closely, adjusting language, and inviting real feedback can help students re-engage and try again.

What Counts is presented by Impact Florida and produced by De LeCourt.

Teachers tell us relationships matter. Then they ask the question that's harder: How?

In Episode 3, Florida educators share practical ways to build connection without turning your classroom into a therapy session. They offer examples of routines that help you understand students as math learners, small practices that compound over time, and feedback systems that turn listening into trust. It's a shift from relationship-building as a "nice idea" to relationship-building as infrastructure for learning.

What Counts is presented by Impact Florida and produced by De LeCourt.

A student shares an answer. A few kids laugh. Instead of calling anyone out, the teacher pauses and recenters the class on the norms they created together. Then, the room corrects itself.

Episode 4 widens the lens from teacher-student relationships to the ecosystem around them. This ecosystem is built on peer dynamics, classroom culture, and the small structures that shape whether students feel safe taking risks. Teachers across Florida share what changes when connection becomes collective and when community, not control, holds the room.

What Counts is presented by Impact Florida and produced by De LeCourt.

Tafari was a quiet eighth grader in a new, high-pressure algebra class during the first COVID year. He was smart enough to slip through the cracks, and stressed enough to be misread. Years later, he'd become a freshman at Harvard. But back then, one teacher simply saw what others didn't.

In the finale, we follow Tafari's story over time to see how relationships compound through a steady rhythm of attention, a reframe that changes how adults respond to a student, and a network of belief that keeps him on track. It's not just a story about Harvard. It's about the quieter wins happening every day—the moment a student tries again, or starts to believe they have a future they couldn't see before.

What Counts is presented by Impact Florida and produced by De LeCourt.