100Kin10 - how do-able is this goal?
Post date: Jun 28, 2015 2:11:19 PM
Well it seems that there has been growing movement behind the 100Kin10 initiative, which aims to educate and certify 100,000 new STEM teachers within the next decade. My sense is that that will only go part of the way to getting the numbers of new STEM teachers that are needed in the country, given the number of retirements forecasted over the next decade. Additionally, my sense is that the STEM teacher shortage is quite location-specific, as well as discipline-specific.
For example, in New Jersey (my home state), there are many openings for both chemistry and physics teachers, but not nearly as many biology teaching openings. Math openings are not nearly as prevalent as science openings are. Computer science teaching positions are prevalent, but since there is no specific certification area in computer science, there are not many well-qualified prospective computer teachers to fit these need. Especially in light of new programming languages that the tech industries as well as universities want their graduates and workforce to obtain fluency in.
In all, this is certainly a goal that needs to be obtained. My worry is that it's a low bar and a moving bar.
Here are a couple of reference articles that might be of interest: