Math, Science Teachers Scarce: ; Many Change Majors After Taking Classes Needed for Classroom Certification

By KELLY HOLLERAN

The state is struggling to find qualified teachers in some subjects, especially math and science, in part because college education majors with the right skills often wind up choosing more lucrative career paths.

Only 61 people in the state were issued teaching degrees with certification in mathematics in 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available from the Institute of Higher Education.

Thirteen were licensed to teach math in grades five through nine; 33 were licensed to teach math in any grade above fourth; and only 15 were licensed to teach Algebra I to grades five through nine.

In the sciences, 17 obtained licenses to teach general science in middle schools; 19 were licensed to teach general science in middle and high schools; 12 earned degrees in high school biology; five in high school chemistry; and just three in high school physics.

The situation is even bleaker in foreign languages. Seven earned some kind of Spanish certification; five were licensed to teach French; and just one person was certified in German.

College officials say students who seek special certification in a teaching field often find they have many other job opportunities.

To be certified in a special field of study, such as math or science, education majors are required to take at least 48 hours of courses in those subjects.

Those classes aren’t watered-down versions. They’re what any science or math major would have to take to earn a degree, said Nathan Estel, executive director of the state Professional Preparation Office.

With that many classes, some students who initially set out to teach find they are suited for another career and switch their majors.

“They can go into a number of areas – pharmaceuticals – depending on which area of science (they are studying),” said Stan Maynard, associate dean of Marshall University’s College of Education and Human Services.

“They could go to environmental groups. Math tends to be more engineering-related. Environmental science-related or engineering appear to be the areas that are most attractive.”

Students also find that even if they don’t change their major to math or science, a specialized teaching degree doesn’t limit them to working in a school setting.

“Our high-tech world has increased the demand for individuals with science and math skills and has presented them with new opportunities for employment,” said Dee Hopkins, dean of West Virginia University’s College of Human Resources and Education.

“This has contributed to the smaller teaching pool. Individuals are choosing to apply their skills in other occupations.”

Rosalyn Templeton, dean of Marshall University’s College of Education and Human Services, said teaching often is not presented as an option to students who show proclivity toward numbers or languages.

“Those individuals who have an interest in math, science or foreign language end up majoring in these areas and taking related jobs that pay a great deal more than teachers can earn,” she said. “There has been no motivation or promotion.”

State teachers’ unions have cited the vacancies in specialized fields as reason for educators to get pay raises. They say pay in other industries is too attractive, and then higher teachers’ wages in surrounding states lures even more qualified classroom instructors away from West Virginia.

“As more and more of these seasoned educators leave the classroom, the demand becomes greater for teachers in all subject areas,” Hopkins, the WVU dean, said.

“Teacher salaries are still low in proportion to those earned by other professionals,” she said.

“Some states offer signing bonuses or differentiated pay scales for teachers in high-need fields. One rural district in another state offered free housing for teachers, and another allowed individuals who were teaching to obtain mortgage rates one to two points lower than the going rate. The business community felt that if they could help their teachers buy a home, they would stay longer.”

As the pay debate drags on, education officials and college administrators have been pondering ways to make the field more attractive to students.

“Our premise is you cannot wait until middle or high school to motivate children to be interested in science or math,” Maynard said. “It has to be in elementary school to give them skills that are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related.”

Marshall University has started model schools to promote the math and science fields.

At Kellogg Elementary School and Vinson Middle School, both in Wayne County, children work closely with faculty at Marshall and other schools on math and science projects.

“They’re not just sitting and memorizing facts, they’re interacting with scientists on Marshall’s campus, they’re interacting with other schools in the state,” Maynard said. ” That’s our target, to get them interacting. They’re doing research. They are applying knowledge to real-world problems.”

Colleges also need to find creative ways to encourage students to major in the difficult-to-fill areas, Templeton said.

“For example, more scholarships, loan forgiveness programs, and ways to recruit math and science people to teach – like a quicker certification system based on years of experience and assessment scores,” she said.

Most universities, including WVU, offer an alternative way to get a teaching degree to encourage those who have degrees in other areas to go into the field, Hopkins said.

There are already numerous scholarships available in high-need areas and many students take advantage of them, Hopkins said.

“Special federal programs like the TEACH and Transition to Teaching grants emphasize preparation in these areas,” she said.

State officials also are looking into ways to recruit more teachers.

Last year, all teachers were sent a survey asking for their opinions on what would help improve the situation.

About 57 percent of respondents thought the state should work on a long-term recruitment and retention initiative. Another 79 percent thought increasing teachers’ salaries should be a short-term priority.

Contact writer Kelly Holleran at kellyh@dailymail.com or (304) 348-1796.

Originally published by DAILY MAIL STAFF.

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