Somehow it's socially acceptable, even funny, to write off a lack of math or science knowledge with a casual defense: "I'm not a numbers person,” or "I'm no rocket scientist."
It's an excuse that might draw laughs or mask ignorance of a complicated – or basic – matter concerning algebra or physics.
But a lackluster performance in math and science in schools and colleges threatens the nation's competitive edge in the global economy that increasingly relies on math, science and technology. For example, two-thirds of all Chinese college students earn math, science or engineering degrees compared with about one-third of U.S. students.
President Bush addressed the issue in the State of the Union address Tuesday by vowing to help revive math and science education. With a $380 million initiative, Bush is pressing to train 70,000 teachers for advanced math and science courses, lure 30,000 industry professionals into classrooms as adjunct teachers, improve instructional standards and support struggling students.
Yesterday, the president's American Competitiveness Initiative drew praise and questions from educators and academics.
Many said the money was much needed, some doubted whether it is enough. Still others worried that school districts, in a rush to capture federal funds, would hastily establish watered-down classes.
San Marcos Superintendent Ed Brand welcomed the president's proposal to train more math and science teachers.
Brand is chairman of the county task force to help all students pass the math portion of the state's high school exit exam. The task force surveyed the county's school districts in December and found they will need 615 middle and high school math teachers in the next five years.
Meanwhile, the county's three public universities produce about 55 to 60 math teachers a year, he said.
“Just to replace what we have, we need to step it up,” Brand said.
Bush's newest education plan underscores ongoing problems schools have in finding qualified teachers to staff math and science classes, as well as keeping students interested and proficient in the increasingly important subjects.
For example, only 40 percent of California's middle-school math teachers have math degrees, according to the nonprofit Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning.
“You can't teach what you don't know,” said Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, who touted the president's plan yesterday during a media briefing.
Without providing details, Spellings said the president's goal was to make rigorous math and science courses available to more students, especially those in low-income areas.
The proposal to train 70,000 teachers over five years to lead Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses seeks to expand access of low-income students to these rigorous classes, which can earn them college credit. But it's unclear how students would be prepared to handle the weighty courses.
Nancy Taylor, science coordinator for the San Diego County Office of Education, said 70,000 are not nearly enough trained teachers.
“It is an urgency for us not only as a nation, but as a community that has such a huge technology-biotechology industry cluster,” Taylor said.
Nationwide, there are roughly 35,000 AP math and science teachers, Spellings said. The campaign to train 70,000 teachers for these classes might include cash incentives and grants to school districts, she said.
Why are qualified teachers in these basic subjects so hard to find? Some say it comes down to basic math.
“It's pretty clear to me it comes down to money,” said David Pillsbury, who teaches AP calculus at Torrey Pines High School in Carmel Valley.
When he graduated from the University of California San Diego in 1989 with a bachelor of arts degree in math, Pillsbury said, beginning teachers earned about $30,000 annually. Meanwhile, friends who put their math degrees to use in the private sector landed jobs starting at $45,000.
San Diego County is an expensive place to live, he said, and many people are naturally going to pass up teaching careers for a better salary.
On top of low salaries, new teachers also have to endure challenging working conditions. Because of seniority rules, new teachers most often work in low-performing inner-city schools, where language barriers, crime and poverty can present obstacles to teaching and learning.
While the president's initiative seems to target middle and high schools, educators say science instruction should start in the earliest elementary grades. Some educators complain that literacy and math instruction have largely dominated elementary education, pushing science and other subjects to the back of the class.
“It really is not just about AP. You're never going to build those strong students at the top unless you build from the bottom,” said Karen Cliffe, an Advanced Placement calculus teacher at Bonita Vista High School and a math curriculum specialist for the Sweetwater Union High School District.
Universities in California and other states are already working to address the shortage in math and science teachers.
The California State University system trains 55 percent of new teachers in California. Less than 10 percent of those specialize in math or science training. But that number is on the rise, aided by a plan kicked off two years ago by the University of California and CSU systems with more than $2 million from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to bolster math and science teaching. The goal is to rebuild the educational pipeline from elementary school through post-graduate college to strengthen California's future workers in the sciences and mathematics, and to produce more qualified teachers with stronger backgrounds in the technical fields.
“What this administration is just figuring out is that the number of mathematicians and scientists are declining in comparison to other countries like China and India,” said Charles Reed, chancellor of the California State University system. “It is close to a national crisis.”
Reed cautioned that it requires major investment if Bush wants to refocus the U.S. education system on science and math as the government did after the Soviet Union beat the U.S. into space with its Sputnik satellite. Reed worries that Bush may pay for his newest proposal by diverting funding from other already budget-strapped educational programs.
“With the war and the national debt, where are the resources to pay for another post-Sputnik deal?” Reed said. “Our national defense is at stake, but I don't want to see us rob Peter to pay Paul."
Staff writers Chris Moran and Sherry Saavedra contributed to this report.
Maureen Magee: (619) 293-1369; maureen.magee@uniontrib.com
