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New York City Schools Lack Sufficient Math, Science Teachers

Posted on: Monday, 4 October 2004, 06:00 CDT

Oct. 4--With dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon, 12-year-old Kaitlin Silva makes the long trek from her home in Queens to a special Brooklyn middle school for the sciences.

But three weeks into classes at the School for Health and Biomedical Sciences in Sunset Park, Kaitlin still doesn't have a science teacher.

"How do you have a science program with no science teachers?" asked Kaitlin's mom, Pat Silva, 45. "I'm beginning to think they have a themed school in name only."

With a dwindling national pool of science teachers combined with the city's race to boost reading and math scores, science-themed schools may be suffering, parents and education watchdogs fear.

Over the summer, the school -- one of three small academies at Intermediate School 220 -- lost four science teachers: one retired, another began maternity leave, a third moved to Long Island and a fourth decided to teach another subject in another school.

"It's a perennial problem to find math and science teachers," said Elizabeth Arons, chief executive officer of human resources for the city Education Department.

She held a job fair for principals to find last-minute science teachers last week. She said 45 were hired.

"Statewide, colleges only produce about 500 science teachers a year. New York City alone could use double that," Arons said.

Poor planning, pressure to boost math and reading scores and dried-up funds for magnet programs may be the culprit for a science school without science, said Clara Hemphill, who reviews city schools for the Web site Insideschools.org.

"With the mayor and chancellor's laser focus on reading and math, science is getting squeezed out of schools," Hemphill said.

Some 30 city schools have "science" in their names, but, like Kaitlin's academy, many can't back up the promise with instruction.

Eva Moskowitz, chairwoman of the City Council's Education Committee, who at a recent hearing championed better science teachers, calls IS 220's tale "false advertising."

"If it is a science school and science is the theme, you would not ask if there would be science teachers. You would assume that's what you are getting," Moskowitz said.

Education Department officials said they've hired two new science teachers for Kaitlin's school, including one for her grade, who will start this week. In the meantime, Kaitlin was learning, "How to Be a Class Leader," taught by a substitute teacher in health class, she said.

"To be a neurosurgeon, I need a good science degree and I need good science teachers," said Kaitlin, whose grandparents drive her from her Ozone Park home to the Brooklyn middle school each morning. "I joined this school to learn about the body and all different kinds of stuff. The first year was great, and there were after-school clubs that dealt with science. But there isn't any of that this year."

Her mom understands the crunch for science teachers but isn't sympathetic to the school system. "They should have had these teachers in place before school started," griped Silva. "Clearly, they didn't make science a priority."

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