Sheila Tobias' Current Thinking
Dear friends of women in science,
On May 4, Sheila Tobias and Anne Baffert had an editorial in Science called "Empowering Science Teachers." I really got a lot out of Sheila's book published some time ago, called They're Not Dumb; They're Different. The current problem posed by Tobias and Baffert is that the graduate students of today are taretted towards research, not high school teaching. They are ignoring the great need to inspire the next generation of students.
Why, then is Finland currently faced with ten applicants for every position teaching high school science? Tobias and Baffert point to a decision in 1994 to establish the Teacher-Researcher Network in Finland. Through this new approach, teachers are trained and encouraged to do curriculum experiments to improve student learning. The teachers are empowered and feel valued in the system, in constrast to in the US. The authors tell us that "It is not surprising that an annual poll of U.S. teachers found that only 44% were "very satisfied" with their jobs in 2011, the lowest level recorded in the survey's 28-year history."
Teachers are rarely promoted to supervisors so that top-down direction by people who do not understand science or science pedagogy is common. In order to make the expertise of STEM teachers more effective, Tobias and Baffert say "we recommend that each school district select outstanding teachers to serve on a Science Teacher Council. This council should be empowered to set criteria for hiring new precollege science teachers, assessing and promoting such teachers, achieving state science standards, and properly assessing student achievement-all of which are specific to the challenges of science instruction."
In addition, they recommend that high school teachers be encouraged to participate in science research in collaboration with others, something for which several model programs already exist.
What do you think? Would these ideas improve the ability of high schools to attract and hire new STEM teachers?
cheers,
Laura
Hi Marian and Helen,
I know, the pay/respect issue is a big problem. Even my Teach for America students say they will teach science a couple of years and then try to go into administration and change things (perhaps following these ideas; the authors have a book out with them in more detail.)
And the teachers' unions are a big problem re credentials, but since they can't get pay increases, job stability is about all they have to offer and this would open the doors to competition (by those who know what they are talking about, gasp!). I just joined the TA union at SDSU and heard about how cavalierly it is treated by the admin from the union representative, a nice grad student from the Chem PhD program. They will negotiate this fall, but don't really expect any progress on pay or hours.
cheers,
Laura
I agree with Marian and would add the additional comment that one of the key problems with science and math teaching in the US is that the teacher's unions forcibly block those with higher degrees in math and science from teaching in the public schools unless they also obtain a teaching degree.
That is why you find so many private school faculties with exceptional and passionate MS and PhD holders in their relevant science and math subjects. Until the unions capitulate on this point and agree to a short education course certification instead of a full education degree for those individuals, you will not find properly trained people available for the public schools.
Many leaders in the national science education standards would agree that this would be a fair compromise, but no one in the unions seems to agree with the point that it's easier to teach someone with the proper technical background how to teach rather than take an educator and somehow cram a PhD's worth of science and math knowledge into their heads.
Cheers,
Helen
Laura,
We don't pay most scientists well, compared to other professions that require a similar education, but we pay teachers a pittance in comparison. We don't see our best and brightest science students going into teaching, or even our best and brightest anything students becoming teachers.
In my local schools, I've been watching the educational background of our teachers plummet. We aren't getting teachers from top universities (who used to be, primarily women following a spouse's career), but instead are getting those who scraped through the community college system and barely graduated college.
Until, as a society, we value teaching and treat teachers as professionals with a growth path and a salary that reflects their education and responsibility, we aren't going to get good teachers.
Marian
Hi Vee,
Yes, when Chris Craney and I and others at Oxy ran the TOPS program, I got to know some really inspiring high school science teachers. I was stunned by their energy and how much they cared about what their students learned. They deserve all the respect we can get for them.
best,
Laura
Dear Laura,
This is such an important issue. Probably all of these things would help, but the respect is the most important. So I support the idea of the council the most. Do you know any high school science teachers, Laura? They really care about what the students learn. I found them inspiring, although I expected to find them depressed and worn out.
VKL
Hi Laura,
I think these teachers work hard, take summer update training, but get little respect and small salaries that cap out at a relatively low level. If we are serious about making these jobs attractive, we need to give the teachers more money and more clout. The Council they suggest might help with the clout.
Carol
