Big Ideas Learning, a leading developer of high-quality K-12 mathematics instructional materials, announces that Matthew Totzke, long-standing President and Chief Executive Officer of Big Ideas Learning and its parent company, Larson Texts, Inc., will retire after more than 15 years of noteworthy leadership. Christopher Toothman has been appointed the new President and Chief Executive Officer and will lead the charge of continuing the growth and product excellence Big Ideas Learning has firmly established. Toothman will assume the role of President and CEO effective July 1, while Totzke will continue his relationship with the organization as an Emeritus Executive.

During Totzke’s tenure, he initiated a period of significant growth and organizational development for the company. Big Ideas Learning expanded from its early program offerings into a nationally recognized publisher of K-12 mathematics curriculum, growing from an initial state-specific middle school program into a comprehensive K-12 core curriculum adopted across multiple markets in the US and abroad. He oversaw the growth of the organization to approximately four times its original size, along with the expansion of instructional resources, ancillary supports, professional learning offerings, and digital learning platforms, strengthening Big Ideas Learning’s capabilities and position within the educational publishing landscape.

“Being part of the company for more than 32 years, including serving as CEO since 2010, has been a profound privilege,” Totzke reflected, “Together with the extraordinarily talented team at Big Ideas Learning, we helped millions of students build confidence and opportunity through meaningful mathematics instruction. I’m proud of what we created during my tenure and excited to see the next chapter unfold under Christopher’s leadership. The company is well positioned to continue making a positive impact on students and teachers for years to come.”

The appointment of Christopher Toothman reflects Big Ideas Learning’s commitment to continuity, strategic growth, and long-term innovation. Toothman brings more than 26 years of combined experience and leadership in K–12 education and educational technology. He joined Big Ideas Learning in 2021 and most recently served as Vice President of Product Management, where he helped shape the company’s product strategy and long-term vision. Throughout his career, Toothman has worked at the intersection of curriculum, technology, and market strategy, contributing to the development of instructional solutions across both state adoption and open territory markets in mathematics, language arts, social studies, and science. 

A firm believer that all students can achieve academic success at high levels, Toothman has helped define the features, functionality, and long-term direction required to build impactful teacher- and learner-centered instructional platforms. His work reflects a deep commitment to balancing strong pedagogy, meaningful engagement, and real-world classroom impact. 

As CEO, Toothman is focused on advancing a bold vision for the future of learning—one in which Big Ideas Learning is committed to developing the highest-quality mathematics instructional materials for teachers, while fostering students’ curiosity, confidence, and conceptual understanding to learn mathematics in meaningful and lasting ways.

"I truly believe every student possesses the ability to learn and achieve academic success,” Toothman emphasized. “It is our responsibility to equip educators and families with the support necessary to cultivate students’ curiosity and inspire their desire to learn, think, question and grow."

This leadership transition is a pivotal opportunity for Big Ideas Learning to innovate and diversify even further, building on its legacy of making math relevant and meaningful to all learners.