Initiative aims for 100,000 new STEM teachers

A new national movement aims to increase the supply of math and science teachers and retain excellent teachers currently in U.S. classrooms by preparing 100,000 new math and science teachers over the next 10 years.

Led by Carnegie Corporation of New York, Opportunity Equation, the NewSchools Venture Fund, and the S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation, the 100Kin10 initiative was sparked by President Obama’s 2011 State of the Union speech, in which he called for an increase in the number and quality of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers, and by the impending retirement of thousands of STEM teachers over the next few years.

100Kin10 is a growing partnership unified by the goal of preparing all students with the high-quality STEM knowledge and skills needed to address national and global challenges. Partners are invited to apply their particular assets to address the challenge of recruiting and retaining excellent STEM educators strategically and creatively.

“The partners are tackling the president’s challenge from three directions: by increasing the supply of excellent STEM teachers; by developing and supporting STEM teachers so that our schools retain excellent talent, thereby reducing the need for new teachers; and by building the movement so that the quest for 100,000 excellent STEM teachers can succeed,” said Michele Cahill, co-chair of the Opportunity Equation and vice president for national programs at the Carnegie Corporation of New York, which is coordinating the funders’ collaborative.

“But these efforts alone, though significant, are not equal to the challenge. We need others with the demonstrated ability to develop outstanding teachers and to build this movement to join us.”