 Science
and math skills seed California’s high-tech economy,
but low-performing students are threatening future yields. In
national comparisons of eighth graders, California scored dead
last in science and seventh from the
bottom in math, according to a 2004 National Science Foundation
(NSF) report.
Great teachers might help—if only California could find them.
According to the California Department of Education, there is currently
a shortfall of some 5,300 math, computer and
science secondary-school teachers. The problem will intensify over
the next decade, as one-third of the state’s K-12 teaching
force retires. UCSD freshman Amanda Salomon, ’10, could be part of the solution. “I
love working with kids. I’m not entirely sure what I want
to do with my future, but teaching is definitely an option,” says
the pharmacological chemistry major.
UCSD’s two new minors in science education and mathematics
education encourage students like Salomon to explore a teaching
career sooner rather than later. Physical sciences and education
faculty teamed to develop and teach the program, which begins with
a freshman seminar and eye-opening visits to inner-city classrooms. “University
students just out of high school get a chance to see it from the
other side of the desk,” says Randall J. Souviney, director
of education studies.
The blend of science and math subject matter, pedagogical theory
and hands-on teaching experience spurs undergraduates to think
about their own learning from a fresh perspective. “I discovered
more than just how to teach math,” says sophomore Lawrence
Yee, ’08, a veteran of the first freshman seminar. “I
learned how people, including myself, understand basic mathematical
concepts such as addition and subtraction.” Nationally, according to NSF statistics, half of incoming undergraduates
who say they want to major in science, math or engineering never
complete the degree. UCSD’s new minors “allow freshmen
to think about a teaching career before some of them decide to
drop out of the math /science stream,” says Sherry Seethaler,
assistant director of science communications. “It gives them
another career option.”
UCSD’s new minors are part of the UC-wide California Teach
program. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and UC President Robert
C. Dynes launched the initiative last year to dramatically increase
the number of credentialed math and science teachers in the state’s
secondary-school classrooms by 2010. California is providing half
of this year’s $250,000-per-campus allotment for the project,
and UC is matching the funds.
UCSD students who complete the freshman seminar receive a $600
stipend from participating California companies. Loan forgiveness
is another financial perk. Graduates who agree to teach 7th to
12th grade science or math for four years in a low-performing
school qualify for up to $19,000 in loan-assumption benefits. —Sylvia Tierstena
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