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EDUCATION REPORT - June 27, 2002: Teacher Shortage
By Jerilyn Watson
This is the VOA Special English
Education Report.
American public schools do not have enough well-trained
people to teach mathematics and science. Education experts say fewer
than half the people currently teaching mathematics are well prepared.
These teachers have not studied enough mathematics in college. Or they
have not successfully completed examinations for mathematics teachers.
State and local governments supervise public schools in the United States.
Almost thirty percent of current mathematics teachers do not have official
state approval of their skills. Almost twenty percent of science teachers
also lack this certification.
Schools in the richest areas of the nation have
the money to hire the best mathematics and science teachers. However,
other schools in crowded cities and small towns have problems finding
good teachers.
Like many other areas of the nation, the state
of California does not have enough mathematics teachers. However, mathematics
requirements for students have increased. For example, high school students
now must demonstrate skill in the mathematics subject called algebra
or they cannot graduate.
To deal with this situation, California is employing
people to work as emergency teachers. Some of these people work in private
industry. Their employers pay them to teach mathematics in the public
schools. Some emergency teachers have left other jobs to work in the
schools.
These emergency teachers have strong mathematics
skills. However, they lack intensive college preparation in mathematics.
And many have never taught school before.
The city of Cleveland, Ohio, is dealing with
the lack of mathematics and science teachers another way. Last year,
the city employed fifty teachers newly arrived from India. They are
highly trained people who have taught school in their native country.
They have agreed to teach in the Cleveland schools for three years.
There are some problems. Sometimes the teachers
and students have trouble understanding each other. Sometimes the students
do not cooperate with the teachers. But only two of the Indian teachers
have returned home. They did so for family reasons. School system officials
say Cleveland schools are happy to have the Indian teachers.
This VOA Special English Education Report was
written by Jerilyn Watson.
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