By Calvin Mackie, PH.D.

“Daddy, Is everything made in China?” is the question that came from my precious and precocious four year old son. I asked, “Why son?” My 6 year old son jumped in and said, “Daddy, everything is made in China?”

To my amazement, I realized they were having a philosophical disagreement for the ages. I said, “Sons, no, everything is not made in China!” My 6 year old would not be proved wrong as he went over to his toy box and began to remove his toys. One by one, he would hold it up and read loudly, “Made in China!”, another toy, “Made in China!”, again, again and again, until I stopped him. Wow! He painfully made his point to me, although he was wrong. I began to think that his young generation and the present generation may have only myopically known Iraq as an enemy, Russia as a friend and China as the manufacturer leader of the World. America has been and continues to be the innovation leader of the world, although other countries like China and India are aiming for that leadership position. In 2006, The National Academy of Science (NAS) published a report entitled “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” identifying key threats to America’s security, technical leadership and high standard of living that this and previous generations worked so hard to create.” The NAS report listed a number of worrisome indicators:

• The U.S. has become a net importer of high-tech products, (we import more high-tech manufactured goods than we export).
• U.S. 12th graders recently performed below the international average for 21 countries in math and science.
• In 2001 (the most recent year for which data are available), US industry spent more on tort litigation than on research.
• Low-wage employers (e.g., Wal-Mart and McDonald’s) are creating more new jobs than high-wage employers.
• Considerably more than half of undergraduates in China and Japan earn degrees in science and engineering compared to one-third in the U.S.
• In 2004, China graduated 500,000 engineers, India 200,000, and America 70,000.

My son believes that everything is ‘Made in China’ because as a nation we now import more high-tech and low-tech goods, like toys than we export. Like my sons, many of us have allowed our outlook on the future and future opportunity to be blurred by our nation’s recent compromised and challenged state in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). As a country, and especially as African-Americans, we must seek out and focus our efforts in education and career development in the areas of STEM for the future belongs to the people who create it.

Clean, green and alternative energy. Natural disasters. Global warming. Cancer. AIDS. Swine flu. World hunger and water. Oil dependence. Weapons of mass destruction.

Homeland security. Pandemics. Outsourcing.  What are the biggest problems facing America or the world and its future? Ask many people and you may get numerous opinions, but everyone will have to agree that the solutions lie within innovation. Since its founding, America has been a leader in the world in technological innovation creating the next technology transforming the way we communicate, travel, live and interact from the industrial revolution to the knowledge economy. The solution to the problems of the past and those of the future can be found in those innovators studying, developing and performing research in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Career opportunities for those willing to pursue such are plentiful in STEM. Our government needs new workers in science, technology, engineering and math to provide services for its people, protect the country and its resources. The government on all levels, local, state and federal, needs more productive and efficient operations like the digitization of medical records to paperless government record keeping. The private sector is constantly looking for not only researchers to create the next generation of services, but developers to continue to grow and maintain technologies, systems and products to remain competitive internationally in a flat world.  A recent article in the Boston Globe documented the Pentagon fears of a severe shortage of scientists and engineers at government laboratories; such a shortage could erode the military’s technological edge in developing weapons and other projects in coming years, spawning a hiring boom at military research laboratories and an expansion of scholarships, advertising campaigns, and other ways to recruit a new generation of civilian STEM technologists and researchers.

The gap between supply and demand in science and engineering skills is a nationwide problem that has been brewing for years. A study last year by the National Science Foundation (NSF) found that the number of graduates with science and engineering degrees – at the bachelor’s level or higher – increased by an average rate of 1.5 percent a year from 1980 to 2005. But, the average employment growth for such jobs each year over the same period was 4.2 percent. From 1994 to 2003, degrees awarded for non-STEM disciplines increased by 30 percent in the United States, but STEM degrees increased by only 8 percent. The same period saw an increase of 23 percent in STEM jobs, compared with only 17 percent for non-STEM jobs.

The possibilities are endless for careers in STEM. They range from the analytical (statistician), to creative (video-game designer), to high tech (computer forensics specialist), to research (lab technician and researchers), to environmental (costal restoration, energy, levees, water and pollution), to aviation (Air-traffic controller to airplane designer or mechanic to pilot) to training (teacher, instructor and professor) and to policy (politician, lobbyist and activist) . STEM professionals can work outdoors in the environment, inside in an office, a classroom or in a research lab.

STEM jobs are critically important to growth and competitive success to a wide rage of industries like the some of the obvious ones: advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, chemical engineering, energy, actuarial science and health care all rely on high-level skills and education in the STEM fields in their workforce. Other industries may seem less obvious for their reliance on STEM knowledge and skills, such as construction, retail,transportation, and hospitality. Who ever you are, what ever you like to do and where ever you like to do it, there is a STEM career for you!

As you can see, STEM related fields are many and diverse. About 150 different college majors have been identified by the NSF as STEM majors. If you are planning for your future, you have to look and study to see where the world is going. STEM offers everyone an opportunity for the future even if your major isn’t directly in STEM. People majoring in law, economics, sociology, psychology and even English will be needed to support the new innovations and innovators of the 21st Century. The futurist Alvin Toffler said, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

Simply, we have to realize that in the present Knowledge economy, “The key strategic resource necessary for prosperity has become knowledge itself in the form of educated people and their ideas (Rising Above the Storm).”  We all have to unlearn some of the habits and ideas of the past and learn what will sustain us and our children in the future. In Robert Peck’s best seller, “Road Less Traveled” the first sentence of the book reads: Life is hard! If I had to write that book again for the 21st century worker, especially the college students, the first line would read: Your skills and knowledge are obsolete already! We have to commit to lifelong learning as knowledge and technology is changing at exponential rates. It was the automatic cotton picker that freed and displaced African-Americans from the slave economy of Jim Crow and Cotton. It was technological automation that displaced African-Americans from the industrial auto, steel and chemical plants of the North and East. Presently, the Black middle class is still suffering from technological unemployment which continues to fundamentally alter the sociology of the Black community. Many of the jobs and careers our parents had are forever replaced by machines and automation; therefore, we have to secure a place in the future for ourselves and our children. We must commit to becoming citizens of the world and participating in the Knowledge economy where the currency for membership is STEM related skills and knowledge. I would have hated to be the last person studying how to make, market and sale horse saddles, and horse shoes, when Henry Ford created the Model T automobile!  STEM is the new Model T that will drive you and your children into the 21st Century. There’s a STEM Career for You!   TOC

Related articles on Teachers of Color:

Teachers Wanted for STEM Education Preparing Tomorrow’s Workforce

STEM – Corporate-Education Partnerships

Science Teachers Get A Glimpse Into The Classroom And Support For Their Future

STATE OF EMERGENCY: The ominous US Crisis in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education and Training.

Even the very best teachers need help in coming up with new ideas, money for fantasy projects, and technology resources. Corporations are stepping up to get involved in education through partnerships with individual schools and school systems. What’s in it for them? They, like most Americans, are concerned about the country’s future workforce.

As the global marketplace changes, U.S. companies will need well-educated, qualified candidates to take STEM-related career slots. Corporations, especially those in need of technical workers, are investing in the tomorrow’s workforce through grants, teacher training, fellowships, equipment, and experiential learning opportunities. Some are deploying employees to the classroom to offer role models to students who may have never met an engineer – especially one of color. Others are taking teachers out of their comfort zone and stretching their imagination about what is possible to teach in K-12 education.

Below are a few examples of programs available to support or train teachers and their students:

*SECME, Inc.

(Founded 1975 as the Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering)

Eligibility: K-12 School-based classes or clubs, targeting populations underrepresented in STEM, but open to all students.

A pre-college STEM program in 15 states, SECME partners schools with a SECME University and Industry Partners to improve academic performance and prepare students for STEM majors and careers through teacher professional development, STEM competitions, and campus activities.

*Siemens Teacher Scholarships

www.siemens-foundation.org

* Eligibility: The scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at historically black colleges and universities who plan to pursue teaching careers in science and math. Awards are based on academic merit and financial need.

The Siemens Teacher Scholarship initiative was launched in March 2005 in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and the United Negro College Fund to encourage students enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to consider careers teaching science and math. Over a five year period, the Siemens Foundation committed to provide $1 million in scholarships to students enrolled at HBCUs that are members of the two organizations.

*The Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy

www.sendmyteacher.com

Eligibility: Third- through fifth-grade teachers from accredited schools.

From applications submitted at sendmyteacher.com, 100 teachers from across the country will be selected to attend the 2009 Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, a professional development program to help hone teaching skills and bolster knowledge in math and science subjects.

*Motorola Innovation Generation Grants

www.motorola.com/giving

Eligibility:

*    Grant applicants may request up to $100,000.00.

*    Grants will be for one year of project work.

*    25 percent or more of total grant dollars will support new programming, which is no more than one to two years old and does not expand on existing programs

*    Organizations returning for three consecutive years may not apply for funding for a fourth year

Motorola’s Innovation Generation grants support innovative K-12 after-school programs that expose students to practical applications of science, technology, engineering and math, and programs, tools and curricula that strengthen America’s teacher corps, empowering them to effectively teach advanced science and technology.

* ConocoPhillips Energy Education Program

www.need.org/conocophillips

Eligibility: K-12 teachers across America

ConocoPhillips has partnered with the National Energy Education Development Project to provide America’s teachers – and ultimately students – with training and resources on key energy topics. The partnership is designed to equip teachers with tools that they can incorporate into daily classroom activities to improve their students’ energy knowledge.

*ConocoPhillips Rice Elementary Model Science Lab (REMSL)

http://centerforeducation.rice.edu/MSL/es.htm

Eligibility: K-5 teachers in the greater Houston area

The nationally-renowned program for elementary-school teachers is guided by research showing that if students do not develop an interest in science by the fifth grade, they are unlikely to develop an interest in science at all. Achievement scores for the students of the REMSL-trained teachers have increased as high as 41 percent.

Teaching Tools

www.teachingtools.com

Eligibility: Junior-high and high-school teachers
As part of ConocoPhillips’ commitment to improve education, the company worked with experts to develop Teaching Tools, a series of free guides and videos to provide students with fun and interactive activities about math, science and critical thinking.

*Microsoft® Partnerships for Technology Access

http://www.microsoft.com/industry/publicsector/pta/education.mspx

Eligibility: Open to teachers in regions where the public-private partnerships (PPPs) are set up.  As of Sept 18, 2008 the Honduran program will kick-off.

Microsoft® Partnerships for Technology Access (PTA) is an innovative global initiative to extend the transformative power of technology to citizens who cannot otherwise afford to own personal computing solutions. PTA forms public-private partnerships (PPPs) with governments for the purpose of making technology solutions affordable and relevant to low income citizens as a means of advancing specific public policy goals in five key areas, including education.  PTA solutions are usually funded through micro-financing, which helps facilitate access to credit and increase teachers’ buying power. Software, training, hardware and other elements of the solution are designed for the specific set of customers and made available and partners can offer innovative solutions by combining technologies with other private sector vendors, and helping educators in the public sector to innovate on their mandate to empower teachers – and thereby students – through knowledge.

In a PPP launched in Guatemala last year, called Opening Futures, personal computers were made available to all teachers through a line of credit extended from their banks and paid back as a debit from their monthly paycheck.  Within six months, 80% of all Guatemalan teachers – more than 60,000 – had taken advantage of the program and bought personal computers for their homes. The program is being rolled out in Honduras in September 2008 and can be replicated across the world to help educators fill the gap between what public entities can provide and what educators can afford.

*Microsoft Innovative Teacher’s Program

http://www.microsoft.com/education/pil/it_home.aspx

Eligibility: Open to all teachers in the 75+ ITN supported countries.

The Innovative Teacher’s Program is built on the understanding that informed, empowered teachers are at the heart of meaningful and effective teaching and learning. By inspiring and learning from each other, educators around the world are transforming the way their students engage with the world and their learning. Today, more than a million Innovative Teachers from 75 countries share great ideas, best practices, and professional development resources. They connect through two global programs – the Innovative Teacher’s Forum and the Innovative Teacher’s Network.

·Innovative Teacher’s Forum

<http://www.microsoft.com/education/pil/IT_forums.aspx> : Innovative Teachers Forums<http://www.microsoft.com/education/pil/IT_forums.aspx> are a set of national, regional, and worldwide events that identify and reward exceptional examples of technology use in the classroom. The culmination of the regional Innovative Teacher’s Forum’s is the Worldwide Innovative Teacher’s Forum – an annual global event to be held this year in Bangkok, Thailand.

·Innovative Teacher’s Network <http://www.innovativeteachers.com/> : Innovative Teachers Network enables teachers to learn from one another and work collaboratively on new approaches to learning through national or region-wide portals.
Teachers Of Color.

The Siemens Teacher Scholarship program, sponsored by the Siemens Foundation, is providing a unique way to connect future teachers at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to the classroom and provide financial support for their education. The Siemens Foundation, based in New Jersey, provides more than $7 million annually in support of educational initiatives from grade school to graduate school in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in the United States.

“This is a critical time to promote the growth of teaching careers,” said Jeniffer Harper-Taylor, Vice President of the Siemens Foundation and graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA. “This program provides the tools and resources to students who have expressed a genuine interest in teaching math and science, and brings us a step closer to increasing the number of teachers and role models for our next generation of leaders,” she said. Siemens Teacher Scholars also join a distinguished group of Siemens Foundation alumni – former scholarship winners of the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology and the Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, network online and have access to valuable resources on the Siemens Scholar Network.

“One of the greatest challenges faced by teachers today is accelerating the achievement rate across racial, gender, ability and socioeconomic divides,” said Jerib Carson, a graduate of Medgar Evers College in New York City, with honors, and 2008-09 recipient of the Siemens Teacher Scholarship. Jerib also participated in the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s Leadership Institute and encouraged students who are considering teaching careers. Jerib earned a B.A. in special education and general childhood education and this fall is pursuing a master’s in education, on full scholarship, at Tufts University.

In partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the Siemens Teacher Scholarship program provides recognition and financial support to juniors and seniors at public and private Historically Black Colleges and Universities who plan to become science or math teachers. Students must have a desire to teach after graduation, maintain a 2.75 grade point average, and major in education, science, technology, engineering or mathematics. A key component of the scholarship requirements is the completion of a Siemens Science Day activity.

Many Siemens Teacher Scholars gain their first interactive classroom teaching experience through the Siemens Science Day program, a nationwide initiative in partnership with Discovery Education that has reached more than 56,000 elementary and middle school students since its inception in 2006. By participating in Siemens Science Days, Siemens Teacher Scholars are able to share their passion for math and science and gain a unique and concrete teaching experience. Scholars identify a local school and spend up to 2 hours introducing scientific concepts in the classroom, helping elementary students work in teams to solve scientific challenges in a fun and engaging way. For example, the “Oobleck” science activity uses simple materials such as cornstarch and water to examine the behavior of different types of solids. Students gain an understanding of how the properties of a solid material can effect how it interacts with water. Dozens of activities in the fields of earth science, physical science and earth science are available at no charge for download at www.siemensscienceday.com. All activities are aligned with national teaching standards for grades 4-6. Thurgood Marshall College Fund, in partnership with the nationally recognized STEM teacher preparation program UTeach, supports these students through its STEM Teacher Quality and Retention Program. These Teacher Quality and Retention Fellows are paired with an experienced mentor, attend training institutes, and receive support to pass credentialing exams. This comprehensive support continues from college through the first three years of teaching. Siemens Teacher Scholars have a unique passion for teaching that is further developed through the Siemens Science Day experience. Lindsey R. Rutledge, a junior attending Howard University (Mathematics/Education), says, “I truly believe that my destiny is to work with youth as an educator. I believe that becoming a teacher is a special calling and should not be viewed as ‘just a job.’ Teachers must want to add to the students’ educational experience. They must be sensitive to any challenges students may have; this special position just does not begin and end with the ringing of the school bell. You must be passionate about being a teacher.”

Siemens Teachers Scholarships

STATE OF EMERGENCY: STEM

By Calvin Mackie, PhD

Simply, in the 21st century, one of America’s greatest challenges will be educating and training a technical workforce to ensure that we can compete and thrive globally. If we are to compete on the global stage in a ever expanding global economy where Science,Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are the new intellectual and innovative currencies, we must motivate, inspire and train an entire generations of Americans to become STEM literate in general, and to pursue STEM careers specifically.  We must motivate, inspire, recruit, retain and graduate more American teachers at every level in STEM related academic subjects to produce the workforce of the knowledge and green economy.

As the knowledge economy grows, it is important that we produce more scientists and engineers, invest in research and development infrastructure and increase all American students understanding of science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM).  If we do not do such things, we threaten our economic welfare as well as the security of the country.  For more than half a century, the United States has led the world in scientific discovery and innovation and now that leadership is being challenged by factors at home and abroad. Foreign advances are challenging the United States leadership in innovation and STEM education. The US has been a beacon, drawing the best scientists to its educational institutions, industries and laboratories from around the globe. American educational institutions have always had the advantage of skimming the cream of the crop from nations like China, India and Japan bringing the best minds in the world to study and eventually work in the U.S.  However, in today’s rapidly evolving competitive world, the U.S. can no longer take its supremacy for granted. Nations from Europe to Eastern Asia are on a fast track to pass the United States in scientific excellence and technological innovation. (The Task Force on The Future of American Innovation: Innovation is America’s Heartbeat)

The catastrophic events of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the collapse of Interstate I-45 in Minnesota demonstrate that we have to educate, develop and train more US born scientist and engineers. As such, many politicians, educators and business leaders are truly concern about the country’s ability to compete in the future. President Bush in his 2005 State of the Union address called for a $136 billion boost in science and education research over the next 10 years. President Bush stated, “We cannot afford to be complacent. In a dynamic world economy, we are seeing new competitors, like China and India.”  Why are President Bush and other leaders concerned? Consider the following:

• In 2005, China graduated 500,000 engineers, India, 200,000 and North America, 70,000. (National Academy of Science Report: Rising Above the Gathering Storm)
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that science and technology jobs will increase by 26 percent, compared to 15 percent for all occupations, from 2002 to 2012. Computer science and mathematics alone are projected to increase by 39 percent.
• According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), more than half of the US PhD degrees awarded in physics, engineering, mathematics and computer science are awarded to Non US citizens. In 2004 alone, 46 percent of master’s degrees and 57 percent of doctoral degrees were awarded to foreign nationals.
• In the US in 2005, less than 5 percent of all undergraduate degrees were awarded to engineers, compared to 8 percent in 1985. The production of engineering degrees by women, African-Americans and Hispanics are declining or flat line at best. (American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), PRISM Magazine, October 2006, pages 27-31)
• According to the National Science Board, the number of 18-24 year olds in the US who receive science degrees has fallen to 17^th in the world, whereas it ranked third three decades ago.
• According to the NSF, the percentage of scientific papers written by Americans has fallen 10 % since 1992.
• The percentage of American papers published in the top physics journal Physical review has fallen from 61% to 29% since 1983. (NY Times 5/3/04 William Broad, “US is Losing Its Dominance in the Sciences”)
• By the year 2050, members of underrepresented minority groups will constitute half of the U.S. college-age population. Such groups share lower rates of high school completion, college attendance, and college completion in comparison to non-Hispanic whites and Asian Americans. (NACME – National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering – “Confronting the “New” American Dilemma”)
• The disparity in the representation of minorities, as well as women, is becoming an increasing problem for the STEM disciplines given the demographic changes occurring in society. African Americans, American Indians, and Latinos constitute 30% of the nation’s undergraduate students, a proportion that is expected to grow to 32% in 2010 and 38% by 2025. Latinos will account for 90% of the growth; they will constitute one-sixth of the nation’s population by 2011. Yet, today, fewer than 12% of baccalaureate engineering graduates in this country are underrepresented minorities. (NACME – New Dilemma)

To remain competitive, there are great challenges and factors to overcome. Those factors include but are not limited to a shortage of scientific mentors, parental pressure on kids to seek more lucrative careers, discrimination against science-bound women and minorities, the prevailing nerd image of scientists and engineers, the lack of science and math preparation for K-12 teachers and the country’s unhealthy and overzealous focus on celebrity and fame. As Thomas L. Friedman noted in his best sellers, “The World is Flat:”, “In China, Bill Gates is a star, a celebrity, students would hang from rafters to get a glimpse of or hear a speech from Bill Gates. In China, Bill Gates is Britney Spears, and in America, Britney Spears, well, is Britney Spears.”

We have to do a better job of informing and preparing our children of the future and what will be needed from them to succeed and thrive in a global community. For example, in 2005, the Raytheon Corporation surveyed 1,000 11 to 13 year olds and discovered that 84% stated that they would rather “clean their room, eat vegetables, go to the dentist or take out the garbage than learn math or science.” In essence, 84 percent of the kids have no interest in preparing themselves to participate in the knowledge global economy. Recently Craig Barrett, the former CEO of Intel, noted that Intel sponsors an international science competition every year and in 2004, it attracted some 50,000 American high school kids. “I was in China 10 days ago,” Mr. Barrett said, “and I asked them how many kids in China participated in the local science fairs that feed into the national fair [and ultimately the Intel finals]. They told me six million kids (The World is Flat:, Thomas L Friedman). Our students and their parents must realize that they are now competing against the World and other nations are doing a better job of preparing their children for a stable future based on a technological economy.

To remain competitive, the US must train and develop an emerging US talent pool that looks very different from years and decades past. Women and minorities are the fasted growing populations in the US and efforts must be made to include these populations in STEM areas. However, we are failing as according to NACME, only 4% of underrepresented minorities graduate high school “engineering eligible.” For example, in 2002, 690,000 minority students graduated from high school, but only about 28,000 had taken the necessary math and science courses to be fully qualified for admission to engineering study. Approximately 17,000 of them enrolled as first-year students in engineering schools out of a total class of 107,000. That same year, 4,136 Latinos, 2,982 African Americans, and 308 American Indians received baccalaureate degrees in engineering out of a total of 60,639 minority graduates, according to data from the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology (CPST).  Therefore, we need more trained and certified STEM teachers in K-12 who can serve as role models and mentors for women and minority students in the STEM pipeline.

Teachers and Counselors are the gateway to the 21^st Century for our students. If the teachers are not prepared or trained in their respective STEM field, if counselors are unaware or don’t believe STEM is for all students and if the students are not challenged with rigor and high expectations, the students as well as the viability of this country are doomed. Teachers, from preschool through graduate schools must infuse STEM throughout their curriculum including active, hands-on, project-based real world experiential learning. The country cannot move forward leaving most of her people behind. If the country, her leaders and teachers fail to prepare and equip citizens from all population groups to participate and succeed in the present and future knowledge and technology driven economy, we risk undermining our own demise on the world stage, economically and intellectually.

TOC.

Teaching STEM:

Teachers Wanted for STEM Education Preparing Tomorrow’s Workforce

Promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Careers

Science Teachers Get A Glimpse Into The Classroom And Support For Their Future

STEM Corporate-Education Partnerships

If there was ever a time to make a case for careers within the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, it is now. Bolstering these fields, which are projected to face critical workforce shortages in the near future, are now among our nation’s top priorities. As the current economy continues to stumble, the importance of remaining globally competitive in math and science-related fields has become an even greater priority.

Organizations such as The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) have focused attention on the serious employee shortages that will soon impact the country’s ability to compete within these fields at an international level. The notable absence of African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans within STEM-related academic programs and careers was noted within a NACME report released this year.

The report, entitled “Confronting the ‘New’ American Dilemma, Underrepresented Minorities in Engineering: A Data-Based Look at Diversity,” shows that participation among African Americans, Native Indians, and Latinos within STEM fields has not only flatlined, but in some cases, has actually declined.
NACME’s report also highlights a significant factor which has contributed to the United States’ ailing performance in the global economy. In essence, a vast number of minority students are not prepared for STEM fields, and are therefore prevented from contributing to the solution.

The report shows that progress on this issue has been marginal. The numbers of minorities within STEM fields do not reflect their overall percentage of the U.S. population. Among other statistics, the report reveals that:

• The proportions of bachelor’s degrees in engineering that were awarded to African Americans between 1995 and 2005 has declined. In 1995, engineering degrees accounted for 3.3 percent of bachelor’s degrees that were awarded to African Americans, versus 2.5 percent of these degrees in 2005.
• Although Latinos are expected to account for 25 percent of the U.S. population by the mid-21st century, the gap in educational achievement for Latinos in proportion to non-Hispanic whites has widened. In addition, evidence suggests that Latinos are losing interest in engineering and are opting to pursue other fields of study in college.
• Native Americans comprise only 0.4 percent of engineering faculty. The lack of diversity among college and university faculties has the potential to rob minority and female students of the role models and mentors they need to maintain their motivation to continue college study.

The report also details a number of calls to action that have been directed at primary and secondary schools, businesses, and governmental entities. These calls to action urge educators and professionals to express high expectations for young students of color, to remove systemic barriers to college participation of underrepresented minorities, to develop a national STEM workforce development policy, and to establish business partnerships that explore and support untapped minority groups.

Authored by the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology (CPST) with the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the NACME report findings have caught the attention of members of Congress, including Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas). “We must look out for America’s strength in the global economy, and to do that, we must encourage untapped resources into the STEM pipeline,” said Representative Johnson. “So many of our minority youth are not prepared to take on jobs in critical science and engineering fields, and this is a problem that Congress can – and must – address.”

As the case is made for the support of STEM-related education, questions arise regarding who will teach the children. Corporations have long realized that their focus and support must begin well before the high school or college levels, since far too many students who are seeking employment are poorly prepared for careers in math and science. The emphasis of a growing number of governmental, nonprofit and corporate programs has been on K-12 curriculum to ensure a solid foundation for students’ future workplace competitiveness.

But who will teach them?

A teacher shortage, combined with the necessary increase in STEM education, presents double trouble. African American, Latino and Native American teachers are already in short supply, not to mention the low number of whom are appropriately prepared to teach math and science.

According to U.S. Department of Commerce data, more than one-third of students in today’s public schools are individuals of color. By the year 2025, at least half will fall into this category. Meanwhile, only 13 percent of their teachers are members of minority groups. Furthermore, more than 40 percent of schools across America have no teachers of color on staff.

Why Teachers of Color Are Needed

Students most identify with teachers who resemble them and with whom they share common backgrounds. Diversity in schools is necessary to ensure balance, provide new perspectives and foster a connection with all students. More importantly, as the student population becomes increasingly diverse, teachers must be available to provide necessary support.

Despite the efforts of some school districts to hire minority teachers, most have faculties that are overwhelmingly Caucasian. School administrators frequently fail to hire the number of minority teachers that is proportional to the increasing number of minority students in their district schools. This shortage of minority teachers becomes more acute each year.

With statistics of 40 percent minority students and 5 percent minority teachers predicted for this decade, a critical shortage of education workers and role models could contribute to a worsening urban plight. Such a crisis could contribute to the failure of all American students to learn the academic, personal, and social skills they need to be successful in the multicultural workplace of the future.

To avert such an outcome, the National Education Association (NEA) has formulated a policy resolution on minority educators. It reads as follows:

The National Education Association believes that multiracial teaching staffs are essential to the operation of schools. The Association deplores the current trend of diminishing numbers of ethnic minority educators.

The Association urges local and state affiliates and appropriate governing bodies and agencies to work to increase the number of ethnic-minority teachers and administrators to a percentage at least equal to, but not limited to, the percentage of the ethnic minorities in the general population.

The Minority Teacher Dilemma

The minority teacher shortage presents a dilemma across the country. At a time when the demand for minority teachers is rising, the supply is falling. The factors that contribute to this situation include:

• Demographically, a region, state, or school district contains few minorities available for its local pool of teachers.
• Burnout and frustration are caused by on-the-job hazards such as poor working conditions, discipline challenges, increasing school violence, and a lack of support from colleagues.
• Inadequate education leaves some minority students poorly prepared and unmotivated to continue with higher education. Standardized tests often have cutoff scores that exclude minority students from obtaining higher education, teacher training, and teacher certification programs.
• Licensure tests disproportionately screen out minorities.
• Teachers’ salaries are low in comparison to salaries for other professionals, which reduces the prestige and social value of a teaching career in the opinions of many potential minority teachers.
• Minority students find greater career opportunities beyond teaching.
• The declining numbers of African American and Hispanic students who major in education is steeper than the overall decline of education majors.
• Minority teachers leave teaching at higher rates than do Caucasian teachers.

Recruitment and Retention of Educators Program

The NEA’s Teaching and Learning Program, with assistance from the NEA Human and Civil Rights Program, coordinates the NEA’s Recruitment and Retention of Educators (RRE) Program, which is designed to meet the challenges posed by the growing teacher shortage in America’s public schools.

The issues targeted by the NEA Recruitment and Retention of Educators Program include ethnic minority teacher shortages; teacher shortages in various subject areas, such as math and science; teacher shortages related to gender, such as the low numbers of men in elementary education; and the retention of educators who are already in the teaching profession.

To address these issues, the RRE Program has established and maintains specific networks and collaborative activities with NEA affiliates and other organizations. The program also created a national forum to address the issues of educator recruitment and retention, and it collects and distributes information about recruitment and retention initiatives. In addition, it maintains a database with key NEA affiliates and national and community organizations. Through this program, financial assistance is provided to NEA local affiliates to support their collaborative initiatives with school districts and community groups that are attempting to recruit prospective teachers and retain experienced educators.

Champions for the Cause

There are numerous government agencies, nonprofits, and corporations that are working to prepare our nation’s youth. The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Coalition actively supports STEM programs that are geared toward teachers and students through the U. S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and other collaborating agencies.

The STEM Education Coalition is comprised of advocates from more than 350 diverse groups that represent all sectors of the technological workforce, including knowledge workers, educators, scientists, engineers, and technicians. These organizations are dedicated to ensuring a quality STEM education at all levels of study.

The Coalition is co-chaired by the American Chemical Society and the National Science Teachers Association.

Teaching the STEM Teacher

Advancing the STEM cause means preparing teachers to be comfortable with teaching students more advanced math and science. At the College of St. Catherine, new STEM certificate and minor degree programs are helping future teachers to gain expertise in the four STEM disciplines. Since many of the fastest-growing occupations will be tied to STEM, it is imperative that K-12 students receive a foundation of knowledge and build their skills in problem-solving and logical thinking.

The courses in the certificate and minor degree programs are co-taught by education program and STEM faculty members to ensure not only that students excel in the subject matter, but also that they understand why it is important and how to teach it.

More and more universities are beginning to offer training and support for teachers. More than 400 K-12 science teachers from throughout Minnesota recently participated in 19 no-cost workshops that were offered by Hamline University’s Minnesota Science Teachers Education Project (MnSTEP). Funded by a $2.3 million grant, the workshops further developed teachers’ proficiency in science and offered suggestions to help them teach at the level mandated by state guidelines. The workshop topics included Earth science, biology/environmental science, chemistry, physics, and inquiry and assessment for both elementary and secondary teachers.

Making It Work

There are solutions to the challenges that the United States faces in competing on the world stage. However, these solutions require the collaborative support of corporations, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, schools, school districts, parents and students. As the student body and, ultimately, the new workforce become more diverse, it is critical that no student or, in this case, teacher, are left behind.

If America is to maintain its global leadership position, it must prepare its emerging minority workforce that has traditionally been underrepresented in STEM areas.

Related articles on Teachers of Color:

STEM Corporate-Education Partnerships

Promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Careers

Science Teachers Get A Glimpse Into The Classroom And Support For Their Future