Bold Commitments Aim for Dramatic Increase in STEM Teacher Corps

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In a dramatic response to the nation's critical shortage of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers, more than 115 organizations gathered at Google's Washington, D.C. offices have committed to bold, measurable plans to recruit, train, hire, develop, and retain 100,000 new, excellent STEM teachers in the next decade.

With the addition today of a $1.5 million pledge from CA Technologies, the partners' commitments to STEM teachers are now backed by a $24 million fund pledged by 15 donors who also include: J.P. Morgan Chase, Google, The Dow Chemical Company, Carnegie Corporation of New York, NewSchools Venture Fund, and the S.D. Bechtel, Jr., Boston, Michael and Susan Dell, Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold, Bill & Melinda Gates, Greater Texas, Heising-Simons, William and Flora Hewlett and Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family foundations.

The organizations taking action as part of the 100Kin10 partnership range from museums to universities, teacher residencies to school districts, non-profits to high-tech corporations. 100Kin10 is dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to excellent STEM learning, so that they can acquire the STEM literacy necessary to be full participants in our economy and our democracy. Today's first-ever partners' meeting will allow organizations from different sectors, with proven but widely varying approaches toward boosting the number of STEM teachers, to collaborate toward shared goals.  

In his remarks to the 100Kin10 partners, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, said, "Engaging and preparing the next generation of STEM leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs is key to preserving U.S. competitiveness in today's global marketplace. It's also key to solving the problems, seizing the opportunities, and improving the quality of life in our interconnected world."

Secretary Duncan continued, "But, to create a new generation of diverse STEM leaders, we must first dramatically increase the numbers of talented, inspiring and diverse STEM teachers, in every school in America – especially our highest need schools."

To facilitate the submission of proposals by partners seeking funding to implement their 100Kin10 commitments, the initiative's 14 funders have established an online registry to help simplify the funding application process. The online registry, developed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will also allow easy access by those who have committed financial support to view all the submitted proposals and align requests with respective funding cycles. The registry is at www.100kin10registry.org.

"We believe the 100Kin10 Registry greatly leverages technology for philanthropic collaboration. A simplified, more efficient application process not only increases access by partners to funders, but also improves the ability for foundations and other donors to examine investment opportunities and better coordinate efforts with each other," said Jeff Raikes, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

"The country's future economic well-being is contingent in large part on how well we address challenges like high health costs, energy independence, and climate change," said Talia Milgrom-Elcott, program officer at Carnegie Corporation of New York who, with Maya Agarwal Lundhagen of Opportunity Equation, is leading the 100Kin10 effort. "A solution to these and other critical problems begins in the classroom. More and better STEM teachers, trained to emphasize real-world problem-solving, will provide students the intellectual foundation as well as the technical know-how they must have to navigate the world around them and become productive, innovative contributors to our democracy and economy."

"The partners' commitments to increase the supply of excellent STEM teachers is testament to their ability and willpower," said Michele Cahill, Co-Chair of the Opportunity Equation and Vice President for National Programs, Carnegie Corporation of New York, which is coordinating the funders' collaborative. "But many more innovative and audacious organizations must join if we are to reach our goal."

The more than 100 partners have each made commitments toward the initiative's goal. Several of those commitments were featured at the Second White House Science Fair on February 7, 2012, such as:

• California State University will prepare 1,500 new math and science teachers annually through 2015, half of whom will teach in high-need schools for at least three years and 10% of whom will earn dual certification, addressing the needs of hard-to-staff schools. 
• National Math and Science Initiative will prepare 4,000 new STEM teachers from 31 UTeach sites by 2015. 
• Google will design a high-profile recognition program for the top 5% of STEM teachers nationwide. 
• Teach for America will recruit 11,000 STEM Corps members by 2015 and connect other qualified applicants to additional STEM teaching opportunities. 
• DonorsChoose.org will inspire 50,000 citizens to sponsor projects in math and science classrooms over the next two years, delivering $15M in critical classroom resources and helping 600,000 students nationwide. 
• University of Chicago will create a framework for organizing the learning that results from "100Kin10" investments and coordinate research among partners on key questions about STEM teacher recruitment, preparation, induction, and development. 

The complete list of 100Kin10 partners and their commitments is available at www.100kin10.org, showcasing the breadth and depth of work being done to support this critical movement by increasing the supply of excellent STEM teachers; hiring, developing, and retaining excellent STEM teachers; and building the 100Kin10 movement.

Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic foundation created by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to do "real and permanent good in this world." In education, the Corporation works to create pathways to opportunity for many more students by promoting systemic change and innovation in secondary and higher education. www.carnegie.org

The Opportunity Equation initiative promotes equity and excellence in mathematics and science education. A partnership between the Institute for Advanced Study and Carnegie Corporation of New York, Opportunity Equation engages national and local decision makers and thought leaders to carry out the recommendations of the Carnegie Corporation of New York-Institute for Advanced Study Commission on Mathematics and Science Education in its 2009 report, The Opportunity Equation: Transforming Mathematics and Science Education for Citizenship and the Global Economy. www.OpportunityEquation.org.

SOURCE Carnegie Corporation of New York