In last school year's round of statewide testing, just 54% of students in grades 3 - 8 were proficient in math, a modest increase of 2% from the prior year. 

With an emphasis on STEM careers and a growing need for math in a lot of fields, how can we better prepare our students for the future?

Danielle Bouton-Wales, president of the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New York State, joins Spectrum News 1 to discuss Mathematics Awareness Month, why kids need to have a strong understanding of math, what parents can do to help, available resources to help students learn in and out of the classroom, what we can do to help encourage more women and girls to pursue careers in STEM and more.