Washington is not the only state struggling to find more math and science teachers. Over the next decade, schools nationwide will need 200,000 or more new teachers in science and math, according to estimates by such groups as the Business-Higher Education Forum in Washington D.C.. Here at home, we’ll need at least 460 new math teachers by 2013, so every student can take three years of high school math—part of the State Board of Education’s recent CORE 24 proposal.
What’s a State to do, especially a cash-strapped one? Getting creative about recruiting and then getting serious about providing high-quality teacher preparation, mentoring and financial incentives seem to be part of the solution.
Take the case of two new Massachusetts teachers:
A former mortgage loan officer, Jeremy Kennefick saw science teaching as a more fulfilling option, and happened across Teach! SouthCoast, a partnership between the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth College, and several school districts, including that of New Bedford, where he now teaches eighth-grade science at Normandin Middle School. He's receiving a $5,000 scholarship – funded by a federal grant – in exchange for teaching in the district for at least three years. Twice a week, he takes classes with a group of 20 who will earn their teaching licenses within a year. He’ll receive three years of mentoring.
Geoffrey Gailey, a biology major in undergrad, won a Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) fellowship, while pursuing his master’s in teaching at Cornell University. He’s now teaching at The Engineering High School in Boston. The KSTF fellowship provides tuition assistance, summer stipends, and ongoing professional development for up to five years. Out of 128 KSTF fellowships awarded since 2002, fewer than 20 individuals have left teaching. By comparison, about a third of new science and math teachers typically leave the profession within three years.
We’re encouraged that Washington’s very own Basic Education Finance Task Force recently recommended state incentives, such as loan forgiveness and more pay, for teachers in shortage areas; mentoring new teachers up to five years; and revamping teachers’ career and salary advancement to reward effectiveness.
And, luckily for Washington, federal leadership may soon be on the horizon. On the campaign trail, President-elect Barack Obama called for 40,000 new scholarships to draw undergraduates and career-changers into high-needs schools and making science and math education a national priority. Obama also voiced support for the creation of high-quality teacher preparation residencies with strong mentoring components-an approach proven successful by Secretary of Education-nominee Arne Duncan in Chicago.
To find out more, check out Obama’s education agenda.