The California State University system has recently decided to join a nationwide movement to add 100,000 science, technology, engineering and mathematics teachers to the education system within the next 10 years.
"100Kin10" was started by Carnegie Corporation of New York, Opportunity Equation and NewSchools Venture Fund, but was first recognized in June at the Clinton Global Initiative America meeting in Chicago.
In 2007 the United States gave out one of the fewest number of mathematics and science bachelors degrees out of 30 countries, according to the Digest of Education Statistics.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan praised the initiative.
"President Obama and I believe that recruiting and preparing 100,000 excellent new teachers in the STEM fields is essential for our students' success in the 21st century knowledge economy," he said in a press release.
In order to contribute and commit to "100Kin10," the CSU system has committed to preparing 1,500 math and science teachers annually through 2015.
"We will recruit excellent candidates, encourage them to work in the state's highest need schools and engage in partnerships with school districts to ensure they are retained," CSU Chancellor Charles Reed said in the release.
While this is a new initiative for math and science teachers in the nation, California has been trying to encourage students to study math and science for years.
The Math and Science Teacher Initiative is a CSU systemwide plan that has been striving toward getting credentialed and qualified math and science teachers into the classroom. Through this initiative, the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship is awarded to more than 200 math and science students interested in teaching with $10,000 stipends for up to two years to support their upper division and credential study, according to the CSU website.
Along with these initiatives, the Assumption Program of Loans for Education will pay up to $19,000 back in student loans for math and science teachers who are credentialed and employed by California at a low income or high need school.
The average cost to train a new teacher in the State of California is $27,750.
This means that over 10 years the CSU plans on spending $41,625,000. Although this is an extreme number to look at, Joan Bissell, director for Teacher Education and Public School Programs for the CSU, assures that this money is coming from programs already intended for the training of new teachers, therefore it will not cause any new deficits in the CSU system.
"The focus here is on using CSU resources currently invested in teacher preparation to prepare teachers in two subjects in which they are in the significant demand across the state currently and are projected to be over the next decade," Bissell said.
Since the CSU will be spending a large amount of money to provide STEM teachers to schools and districts in need, it is important to know the return the CSU will see.
The CSU will see three major returns from the resources invested in credentialing teachers, Bissell said. The first of these is employment for students graduating with a credential. The second is the formation of excellent relationships with public schools.
And finally, the relationships with these schools will give students more opportunities for in-field learning experience at the schools.
While many people agree the "100Kin10" initiative is even more reason for California to strive to produce more math and science credentialed teachers through the CSU system, some think it is going to be too difficult.
Sophy Huck, a lecturer in the math department, said despite being under the impression that it was easy to get math and science teaching jobs, she spent four years teaching high school, but never landed a full-time position. For this reason, she never received the benefits of the APLE incentive.
"I don't understand where the jobs are for 100,000 math and science teachers," Huck said.
Additionally, she said not everyone is going to want to work or have the ability to work in inner-city areas.
David Kagan, the chair of the department of science education, has been working at Chico State for 30 years and had a different perspective. Kagan strongly agrees with the idea of adding more math and science teachers to fulfill the nation's needs. He thinks the future of the world economy is dependent on not only creating technology, but on making the planet more sustainable, which is done by having a knowledge of science.
Although Kagan is very proud of what California and Chico State have already done, he thinks it is just a start.
"We're one of only two CSUs that has a department of science education," he said.
He added that the school can still contribute to the nation's needs.
"I'm sure Chico will step up and provide resources to address our nation's problems," Kagan said.
Since California already has incentives and programs in place for students getting teaching credentials in math and science, the goal of 1,500 new teachers each year in these subjects may be attainable.
News By:
theorion.com
"100Kin10" was started by Carnegie Corporation of New York, Opportunity Equation and NewSchools Venture Fund, but was first recognized in June at the Clinton Global Initiative America meeting in Chicago.
In 2007 the United States gave out one of the fewest number of mathematics and science bachelors degrees out of 30 countries, according to the Digest of Education Statistics.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan praised the initiative.
"President Obama and I believe that recruiting and preparing 100,000 excellent new teachers in the STEM fields is essential for our students' success in the 21st century knowledge economy," he said in a press release.
In order to contribute and commit to "100Kin10," the CSU system has committed to preparing 1,500 math and science teachers annually through 2015.
"We will recruit excellent candidates, encourage them to work in the state's highest need schools and engage in partnerships with school districts to ensure they are retained," CSU Chancellor Charles Reed said in the release.
While this is a new initiative for math and science teachers in the nation, California has been trying to encourage students to study math and science for years.
The Math and Science Teacher Initiative is a CSU systemwide plan that has been striving toward getting credentialed and qualified math and science teachers into the classroom. Through this initiative, the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship is awarded to more than 200 math and science students interested in teaching with $10,000 stipends for up to two years to support their upper division and credential study, according to the CSU website.
Along with these initiatives, the Assumption Program of Loans for Education will pay up to $19,000 back in student loans for math and science teachers who are credentialed and employed by California at a low income or high need school.
The average cost to train a new teacher in the State of California is $27,750.
This means that over 10 years the CSU plans on spending $41,625,000. Although this is an extreme number to look at, Joan Bissell, director for Teacher Education and Public School Programs for the CSU, assures that this money is coming from programs already intended for the training of new teachers, therefore it will not cause any new deficits in the CSU system.
"The focus here is on using CSU resources currently invested in teacher preparation to prepare teachers in two subjects in which they are in the significant demand across the state currently and are projected to be over the next decade," Bissell said.
Since the CSU will be spending a large amount of money to provide STEM teachers to schools and districts in need, it is important to know the return the CSU will see.
The CSU will see three major returns from the resources invested in credentialing teachers, Bissell said. The first of these is employment for students graduating with a credential. The second is the formation of excellent relationships with public schools.
And finally, the relationships with these schools will give students more opportunities for in-field learning experience at the schools.
While many people agree the "100Kin10" initiative is even more reason for California to strive to produce more math and science credentialed teachers through the CSU system, some think it is going to be too difficult.
Sophy Huck, a lecturer in the math department, said despite being under the impression that it was easy to get math and science teaching jobs, she spent four years teaching high school, but never landed a full-time position. For this reason, she never received the benefits of the APLE incentive.
"I don't understand where the jobs are for 100,000 math and science teachers," Huck said.
Additionally, she said not everyone is going to want to work or have the ability to work in inner-city areas.
David Kagan, the chair of the department of science education, has been working at Chico State for 30 years and had a different perspective. Kagan strongly agrees with the idea of adding more math and science teachers to fulfill the nation's needs. He thinks the future of the world economy is dependent on not only creating technology, but on making the planet more sustainable, which is done by having a knowledge of science.
Although Kagan is very proud of what California and Chico State have already done, he thinks it is just a start.
"We're one of only two CSUs that has a department of science education," he said.
He added that the school can still contribute to the nation's needs.
"I'm sure Chico will step up and provide resources to address our nation's problems," Kagan said.
Since California already has incentives and programs in place for students getting teaching credentials in math and science, the goal of 1,500 new teachers each year in these subjects may be attainable.
News By:
theorion.com
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