Federal

Business-Higher Ed. Group Offers Plan for Teacher Shortfall

By Vaishali Honawar — June 11, 2007 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A report that was slated for release this week foresees a vibrant, hands-on role for businesses in combating the much-publicized shortfall of math and science teachers in K-12 schools.

Members of the Business-Higher Education Forum, an organization made up of Fortune 500 chiefs and higher education leaders, say the United States will need 280,000 new mathematics and science teachers by 2015. But there simply are not enough skilled teachers in those areas entering the profession or committing to long-term careers, the report underscores.

To help relieve the shortage, the Washington-based forum puts forth a detailed plan that calls on the federal and state governments, school districts, higher education institutions, and businesses to work in concert in teacher recruitment, retention, and continuing professional growth.

For instance, the report says, in the area of retention, the federal government could expand support for comprehensive, research-based teacher-induction programs; state governments could disseminate tools to evaluate the effectiveness of such programs; school districts could establish, evaluate, and report on the programs; universities could conduct research on their effectiveness; and businesses could sponsor and support the programs.

Forum members hope their strategy would double the number of college graduates with degrees in critical STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math—disciplines in eight years.

Many reports in recent years have sought to highlight the problems in STEM education, most notably “Rising Above the Gathering Storm,” which was prepared in 2005 by a panel of business leaders convened by the National Academies. The report warned that the U.S. economy would suffer if it failed to improve the scientific and technological skills of its workforce.

But Brian Fitzgerald, the executive director of the Business-Higher Education Forum, said very few of the other reports have called for a strong role for business in addressing the critical shortage of math and science teachers, or identified sound strategies to counter it. “This report is unique because it deals with recruitment, retention, and renewal, and creates a road map for each of the five stakeholders to get this work done,” he added.

New Ideas

Some recommendations in the report are familiar, such as scholarships for teacher education students in the STEM disciplines, differential pay for such teachers, and ongoing professional development.

But there are new ideas as well, among them the creation of an administrator’s position at each school—a vice principal of academic affairs to provide support for new teachers, help experienced teachers master classroom-instruction skills, and help all teachers develop and implement curricula.

While some may worry about adding another administrator to schools, the authors say the idea was modeled after the leadership of universities, where a president and a provost handle different affairs, complementing each other.

Gerald F. Wheeler, the executive director of the National Science Teachers Association, in Arlington, Va., said that is one of the many proposals in the report he is excited about working with schools to carry out. “A vice principal for academic affairs could be a coordinating glue who would bring teachers together,” he said.

The report also proposes early and aggressive teacher-recruitment efforts, such as targeting middle school students and presenting them with teaching as a viable career option.

With two major pieces of federal education legislation up for reauthorization, the No Child Left Behind Act and the Higher Education Act, forum members said a window of opportunity is open to influence significant change.

Investing in STEM programs, Mr. Fitzgerald said, is “a national imperative” to keep the United States intellectually vibrant and economically competitive.

A version of this article appeared in the June 13, 2007 edition of Education Week as Business-Higher Ed. Group Offers Plan for Teacher Shortfall

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Making Science Stick: The Engaging Power of Hands-On Learning
How can you make science class the highlight of your students’ day while
achieving learning outcomes? Find out in this session.
Content provided by LEGO Education
Teaching Profession Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Federal Trump Shakeup Stops Most Work at Education Department's Civil Rights Office
President Donald Trump is downsizing a federal office that he's also using to carry out his policy agenda for schools.
9 min read
President Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. The department's office for civil rights, which enforces federal civil rights laws in schools, has been hamstrung by the Trump administration's goal of shrinking the agency.
Alex Brandon/AP
Federal Trump’s 4th Week: Musk’s Team Pushes Ed. Dept. Cuts as McMahon Faces Senators
Linda McMahon appeared before U.S. senators, answering for an already turbulent time at the Education Department before she's taken charge.
6 min read
A shouting protester is removed from the hearing room as Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Education, testifies during her Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, on Feb. 13, 2025. A shouting protester is removed from the hearing room as Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Education, testifies during her Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, February 13, 2025. (Graeme Sloan for Education Week)
A shouting protester is removed from the hearing room as Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Education, testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 13, 2025.
Graeme Sloan for Education Week
Federal Trump Picks Long-Serving State Chief With Bipartisan Fans for Top Ed. Dept. Role
Trump nominated North Dakota State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler to a key post overseeing K-12 policy at the U.S. Department of Education.
5 min read
North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler announces the gathering of a task force to look into future options the state has for the assessment of students during a press conference May 8, 2015, at the state Capitol in Bismarck, N.D.
North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler announces the gathering of a task force to look into future options the state has for the assessment of students during a press conference May 8, 2015, at the state Capitol in Bismarck, N.D. President Donald Trump has tapped Baesler to serve as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education.
Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP
Federal Opinion Education Research Is in the Trump Administration's Cross Hairs
DOGE took a "chainsaw" to the Ed. Dept's grant programs. Morgan Polikoff has four suggestions for his research colleagues.
5 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week