Higher Pay Urged for Math and Science Teachers

The Washington, D.C.-based Business-Higher Education Forum added its voice to the growing chorus of concern about the lack of interest among today’s youth in math and science careers and the potential for harming the nation’s standing in the global economy.

The forum represents CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, college and university presidents, and foundation leaders working on strategies to advance U.S. competitiveness.

“We know from research that the quality of P-12 mathematics and science teaching is the single most important factor in improving student performance,” said Carl F. Kohrt, president and CEO of Battelle, who served on the working group that helped shape the report. “If we are to improve achievement by all students in these disciplines, we must address the growing shortfall of teachers, particularly in those schools and communities with the greatest need.”

An American Imperative: Transforming the Recruitment, Retention, and Renewal of Our Nation’s Mathematics and Science Teaching Workforce, released by the group in June, points to a projected national shortfall of more than 280,000 new math and science teachers by 2015.

Shortages are more severe in high-minority and high-poverty classrooms. In 2002, 72 percent of high-minority middle school math classes were taught by teachers who had not majored or minored in mathematics, compared with 55 percent of low-minority classes.