Preparation
Prestige
diversity of STEM teachers
Full Challenge: The diversity of PK-12 STEM teachers.
Challenge Description: The teacher workforce is not representative of the diversity of the nation's learners. Many teachers do not share cultural or racial background with their students.
Progress
Get the Facts Out: Teaching, The Best Kept Secret!
Watch "Get the Facts Out: Teaching, The Best Kept Secret!", a recorded "Steal This" presentation. Did you know that teachers in the United States rate...
"It seems as if nobody is asking classroom teachers what will be most helpful"
I was drastically underprepared for my first teaching position. It was the early 1990s, and I had just graduated with a B.S. in mathematics and a...
"I finally began to understand that teaching is not 'settling'"
“Hi, I’m Amanda. I attend Colorado School of Mines and am majoring in Engineering Physics.” That’s how I introduced myself over and over – during job...
Many teacher programs have low admission standards, are reluctant to change their approach, and do not track the quality of their graduates.
Published July 2017. Among the most prominent issues facing education improvement in the United States is the level of teacher quality in the...
Teaching is devalued by cultural norms.
Published July 2017. The nation is experiencing a comprehensive shortage of highly qualified teachers in many districts across the country.
Teachers often lack preparation for diverse learning needs.
Published July 2017. In schools around the country, many teachers are struggling to meet the diverse learning needs of the students in their...
STEM professors often devalue PK-12 teaching and do not encourage STEM students to pursue the profession.
Published July 2017. Among the most prominent issues When the Soviets launched Sputnik in 1954, the United States began a mad dash to prepare more...
Pre-service teachers often lack effective coaching.
Published July 2017. Teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is difficult to do well, even for veteran teachers.
Teaching lacks financial incentives.
Published July 2017. The demand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills in the private and public sector is high, and the...
Teachers lack collaborative work environments.
Published July 2017. For K–12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching to be an attractive career choice for STEM college...
STEM content and pedagogy are not integrated.
Published July 2017. Improvements in teacher preparation to better focus on the unique characteristics of 21st-century teaching and learning have been...
Many teacher preparation programs do not account for local or regional needs.
Published July 2017. Local teacher shortages abound, according to recent reports, particularly with respect to finding qualified and well-prepared...