By 2021, we will...

Recruit, prepare, place, and retain at least 25 STEM teachers for urban classrooms in Kansas City, Missouri Public Schools System.

Collaborate and develop strategic recruitment pipelines with local and national Black and Latino organizations to increase the number of STEM teachers who identify as a person of color.

Develop ongoing new teacher professional development for KCTR STEM teachers that will align to research-based best practices for the school communities we support.

Is there anything else you intend to do to maximize your impact via the network?

Partner and collaborate with organizations that are similar in nature and those that are not, so that KCTR can be challenged to consider innovative approaches that will ensure we make progress towards ensuring all students have excellent STEM teachers. KCTR will commit to working strategically with local stakeholders to develop a collective approach to having excellent STEM teachers.

Build in professional development for KCTR STEM mentor teachers where they engage in new strategies that are researched-based that ensure students are learning at high levels in STEM classes. At KCTR mentor teacher quarterly PD, specific sessions for STEM mentors can be enhanced to incorporate this shift and allow for the mentor to practice the implementation of the strategy with a KCTR coach.

Collaborate with KCTR K-12 partners to track the number of high school students who are interested and plan on matriculating in STEM-related majors so that early engagement can take place between the student and KCTR. Moreover, KCTR can coordinate with higher ed institutions in the area to track the number of students in STEM majors and better understand the number that choose to enter teaching.

Challenges this organization is addressing:

• diversity of STEM teachers
• pre-service training for STEM teachers around students' diverse learning needs
• prep programs facilitating preservice teachers to observe high-quality teaching