Local schools facing shortage of science, math teachers

A single job opening at a suburban school can generate dozens -- even hundreds -- of applications.

Still, even suburban schools can struggle to find teachers with math or science backgrounds.

"The problem is acute, and it's getting more acute," said Paul Kelter, a former chemistry professor who leads the department of teaching and learning at Northern Illinois University's school of education.

"The bottom line is there's a general lack of literacy in science and math, and it starts quite early," Kelter said.

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Nationwide, 36 percent of seventh- to 12th-grade public school math teachers and 27 percent of science teachers did not major or minor in their subject area, according to U.S. Department of Education statistics.

In the physical sciences, nearly 60 percent of teachers did not major or minor in their subject area -- or any other physical science.

And even when teachers have extensive math or science training, it can be a challenge to stay abreast of rapidly changing fields.

The majority of math and science teachers in Illinois do not feel prepared enough to instruct their students in fast-growing fields of math, science and technology, according to a 2006 survey by NIU of more than 1,200 Illinois teachers.

"There are many needs of course in schools, but the need for qualified math and science teachers is especially daunting," said Dom Belmonte, director of teacher preparation for the Golden Apple Foundation.

Golden Apple, along with the Illinois Math and Science Academy, recently won a $341,000 federal grant to address the "quiet crisis that America's declining scientific and engineering talent pool represents," a statement from Golden Apple said.

The crisis is no longer quiet.

In his State of the Union Address two years ago, President Bush announced a plan to bring 70,000 more highly qualified math and science teachers into the classroom.

Programs across the state have popped up to address the issue.

Golden Apple, Illinois Math and Science Academy, Fermilab, the Museum of Science and Industry and local teaching colleges have partnered with suburban districts to improve math and science instruction.

Andrea Ingram of the Museum of Science and Industry said of her organization's teacher preparation program, "We really try to zero in on that population of teachers who are fish out of water teaching science -- which is the majority of teachers teaching science in middle schools in Illinois."

Supply and demand

The primary challenge of finding teachers with strong math and science backgrounds is that, proportionately, there aren't many Americans with strong science and math backgrounds.

During the 2004-05 school year, 22 percent of all bachelor's degrees awarded in U.S. colleges and universities were in business; 11 percent were in social sciences; 7 percent in education; and 6 percent in psychology.

Just 1 percent of undergraduate degrees were in math or science.

If college entrance scores are any indication, the current crop of suburban high school students won't reverse the trend.

Only half of current seniors at local suburban high schools tested as college ready in math on the ACT college entrance exam as juniors. Just 34 percent made the grade in science.

The limited supply of qualified math and science professionals drives demand for them, and drives many of them away from teaching.

Simply put, most math and science teachers can make more money doing something other than teaching.

"There is a salary scale that is much higher for scientists and mathematicians, so those who are quite well prepared to do math and science take those other jobs," Kelter said.

In 2003, the median salary for full-time high school math and science teachers was $43,000. That compares to median salaries ranging between $50,000 and $72,000 for professionals with comparable educational backgrounds such as computer systems analysts, engineers, accountants or financial specialists, in the same year, according to the National Science Board.

Indeed, 32 percent of math and science teachers who stop teaching switch professions, compared to 22 percent of other teachers.

Recognizing that math and science professionals have a greater range of high-paying career options, colleges and universities tend to pay professors in those subject areas more. Medical, science and engineering professors can make two or three times more than humanities professors.

Union contracts prevent such differentiation at the elementary and high school level.

"From the standpoint of market demand, maybe it's something to seriously consider in high schools," Kelter said.

Teaching teachers

A number of local programs focus on improving the skills of current teachers -- rather than recruiting new talent.

Even teachers highly trained in math and science can use a brush-up to keep pace with innovations in math, science and technology.

"We're lucky in our district, our math and science teachers are math and science experts," said Diep Nguyen, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction at Des Plaines Elementary District 62, which received a grant through the Illinois Math and Science Partnership to hold summer workshops for math and science teachers.

"The challenge for us is to keep up with new math and science discoveries and the way in which technology has shaped those two areas," Nguyen said.

The Illinois Math and Science Partnership, created as part of the federal No Child Left Behind law, allows local districts to partner with universities and other institutions specializing in math, science and technology.

Elgin Area School District U-46 has participated in the program, though district officials stress they choose from a wide pool of qualified math and science candidates every year.

"We have more applicants for social studies and English, probably because more people major in that," said Lalo Ponce, assistant superintendent for administrative services. "But we have good quality people applying for those spots."

Ponce estimated he had 25 applicants for every opening in math and science, compared with 50 applicants for English or social studies spots.

Gwen Pollock, who heads the math and science partnership for the Illinois State Board of Education, said most of the state's teachers are experts in their field.

"The challenge is that (the fields of math and science) are changing, so to keep updating the knowledge base is going to be an issue evermore," Pollock said.

Linda Figgins, a sixth-grade teacher at McKinley Elementary School in Elgin, is proof that extensive professional development can more than make up for majoring in an outside field.

Figgins won a Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching in 2004.

When she began teaching 34 years ago, she had her master's degree in reading and a certificate in general education. Now she teaches college-level math methods.

"All of my training in the last 15 years has gone to trying to teach math and science better," Figgins said. "It's a matter of learning how to look at children. There's more involved than just content, even though content is critical."