THE MATHEMATICS TEACHER SHORTAGE—SOME SOLUTIONS

THE MATHEMATICS TEACHER SHORTAGE—SOME SOLUTIONSAuthor(s): CLYDE PAULSource: The Mathematics Teacher, Vol. 74, No. 3 (March 1981), pp. 173-178Published by: National Council of Teachers of MathematicsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27962384 .

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THE MATHEMATICS TEACHER SHORTAGE SOME SOLUTIONS

By CLYDE PAUL Southwest Missouri State University

Springfield, MO 65802

Evidence continues to accumulate that mathematics education in the United States is facing a serious peril caused by the

increasing shortage of qualified teachers. Dunathan (1979) surveyed school superin tendents in nine midwestern states about this topic. Approximately 70 percent of those administrators who responded thought a shortage of qualified mathe

matics teacher applicants existed. Less than 5 percent indicated that they believed there was a surplus. A 1977 survey conducted by the federal government discovered that ap

proximately one-fourth of the nation's school districts had at least one opening in some field for which no qualified applicant could be found (Jacobson, 1979). Data from other sources suggest that many of those unstaffed positions were in mathe

matics classrooms. Reporting figures pre pared by the National Center for Educa tion Statistics, Dessart (1979b) states "... 1100 mathematics teacher positions were unfilled in the secondary schools of the United States during the fall of 1977." The November 26 issue of Education USA

("Teacher Shortage," 1979) quotes the

Houston, Texas, superintendent of schools as estimating "... that more than 5,000 of the school district's students have 'no certi fied mathematics or science teacher at a time when we are emphasizing those sub

jects.' "

That same article reports that Dal las had 150 current vacancies, most of

which were in mathematics, science, indus trial arts, and special education at the sec

ondary level.

Reasons for the Shortage

There appear to be three major inter related reasons for this current shortage of

mathematics teachers. The principal causes are the declining attraction of teaching as a

profession, the increased competition for well-trained personnel by private industry, and the changing social expectations dem onstrated in the changing attitudes of women's career choices.

Teaching has become a much less attrac tive profession for undergraduates than it was in the early seventies. The number pre paring to teach nationally in 1978 fell to about 60 percent of the 1972 total (Wat kins, 1979). Individual states and many universities have also experienced signifi cant declines (Lawlis, 1979; Paul, 1979). Undoubtedly this reduction in popularity is

partially explainable by the reports in the media of an oversupply of teachers. ?ut other factors also added to this decline.

The number preparing to teach nationally in 1978 fell to about 60 percent of the 1972 total.

Schools unable to meet payrolls, voter ap proval of spending limitations, and seem

ingly rampant classroom violence encour

aged students to frequently select other career alternatives.

Private industry has been eager to em

ploy those looking for mathematics and sci ence positions in nonclassroom settings. It has been reported that 1980 graduates in

engineering will be able to select from 26

percent more available positions than their 1979 counterparts. A 16 percent increase in

opportunities for science, mathematics, and other technical areas has been predicted ("Job Outlook," 1979). Graybeal (1979) re ports that in 1978-79 the average salary of a beginning teacher with a bachelor's de

March 1981 173



gree was only 73.1 percent of the beginning salary offered by private industry to bach elor degree graduates in mathematics and statistics. This represented a decline, as the 1975-76 ratio comparing the same groups

was 79.7 percent. The seventies saw a dramatic shift con

cerning job opportunities for women. A

greater range of career choices available for

mathematically talented women caused a decline in the number entering the teaching profession. Statistics indicate that nation wide the teaching force has changed from 75 percent women in 1950 to 71 percent in 1978 (Women in the Labor Force, 1979).

Effects of the Shortage

How are school districts coping with the

inability to employ qualified mathematics teachers? It seems the solutions vary greatly, limited only by the originality of

In Missouri there was a 43 percent increase in the issuance of emergency certification in 1979 vs. 1978.

the administration. The Missouri Depart ment of Elementary and Secondary Educa tion reported that September 1979 saw a 43

percent increase in the issuance of "emer

gency" certificates in that state. Universi ties' certification offices have had many in

quiries about minimum requirements needed by a teacher qualified in another field to become "temporarily" certified to teach mathematics. An undergraduate re

ported that he had been approached by a

superintendent to become a "permanent" substitute. It seems that sixty hours of

general education coursework and the

eight-hour Mathematics-for-Elementary Teachers sequence could qualify him for

secondary level substitute teaching. The su

perintendent offered to divide the yearly salary for a beginning teacher into 180

equal parts and employ the student as a full

year substitute. Dallas Superintendent

174 Mathematics Teacher

Linus Wright reported that he was return

ing central staff administrators to the class

room, borrowing personnel from business,

urging retired teachers to return, and com

pensating current teachers who take addi tional work ("Teacher Shortage," 1979). Although Superintendent Wright did not define the term "work," in similar instances it has meant that teachers are asked to as sume responsibility for an additional class section or additional students are added to current sections.

The solutions above may succeed in

staffing classroom positions, however, in most cases the quality of instruction is

questionable. Whereas the sincerity, dedi

cation, and purpose of these "temporary" replacements are not being questioned, their mathematical competence is often

suspect. Recent meetings of mathematics educators have produced increasingly nu merous stories of schools using people to teach geometry and second-year algebra who have not completed a university mathematics course beyond college al

gebra. Although selecting unqualified "temporary" persons to staff the nation's

mathematics classrooms may be the only feasible short-range solution, it is an unac

ceptable situation to promote the nation's

long-range scientific, economic, and social

well-being.

Why Students Choose Not to

Major in Mathematics Education

There does not appear to be a shortage in the total number of people preparing to teach. Yearly figures published by the Na tional Education Association and the Na tional Center for Education Statistics have

continually shown that more teachers are

being prepared each year than there are

positions available. The following ex

amples of imbalance illustrate the problem. Missouri in 1979 had 487 new graduates prepared to compete for the 213 positions available in physical education. In contrast,

only 99 new graduates had prepared to staff the 290 mathematics openings (SMSU, 1979). Nationally in 1976, there

were approximately 2 1/2 times as many



physical education majors and nearly three times as many social studies majors as there were people prepared to teach mathe

matics. Yet the number of positions open in each field was similar ( EA, 1978). Since 1973 the percentage of students pre paring to teach mathematics in Missouri as

compared to the total number of graduates for thirteen secondary fields has signifi cantly declined. However, the number of

mathematics vacancies as a percentage of the total number of openings for the same fields increased (Paul, 1979). Apparently a

greater proportion of the reduction in available new teachers has taken place in mathematics than in other teaching fields.

Why do students continue to major in fields of persistent oversupply? Why do

they ignore areas such as mathematics with abundant employment opportunities? Schwarzweller and Lyson (1978) state that "... our knowledge of the complex proc esses that affect the decision of certain

young people toward careers in teaching is rather limited.'' These complex processes

must be explored if we are to solve the teacher shortage in mathematics.

Sells (1978) examined how an invisible "mathematics filter" tended to reduce the career opportunities of women. A career in

many fields required a prospective trainee to complete a calculus sequence in addition to the normal courses from the major field of study. Therefore, someone unable to fin ish this sequence in calculus was effectively limited in career choices. The mathematics curriculum was operating to "filter" women into less desirable career options because their high school mathematics

backgrounds were inferior to those of their male competition. Beck (1976) has stated that by the first year of college, over 90 per cent of the women students lack the prereq uisites needed to enter the first calculus course. They are thus unable to choose

many desirable careers options. A "mathematics filter" may also be oper

ating that reduces the potential for stu

dents, both men and women, to choose a career in teaching mathematics. The Na tional Assessment of Educational Progress

(1979) has shown that only 13 percent of the 17-year-olds reported having taken a course in trigonometry for one-half or one

year. Also only 37 percent of those sur

veyed reported credit in second-year al

gebra (p. 51). Thus, although a larger pro portion of women seem to be enrolling in these courses than previously reported (p. 45), a large majority of 17-year-olds, both men and women, would appear unable to

pursue a college program requiring a calcu lus sequence. Whereas requirements vary among universities, the programs for mathematics education majors show much

commonality. A typical program will in

Many students do not have the prerequisites to study

mathematics in college.

elude a major consisting of about thirty se mester hours of mathematics, with a calcu lus course (or sometimes, one precalculus course) being the lowest level course allow able for application on the major. There fore to become a mathematics teacher, the student should have completed a high school curriculum consisting of two years of algebra, one year of geometry, and a course in trigonometry. Students without this background can take similar courses in

college; however, this route may prove dif ficult. For although most schools offer the needed coursework, in order to complete those classes, a student may well increase the time required to complete a degree. This increase in time results from two pri mary causes. First, the sequential nature of mathematics often prohibits the concurrent enrollment in several courses in the major. The student forced to spend two or three semesters before beginning calculus may be unable to graduate in the traditional eight semesters. Second, because of requirements in general education, professional educa

tion, and often a second teaching field, the

degree may not have the flexibility to per mit the precalculus courses to be counted as ?lectives.

March 1981 175



Report on a Group of Teacher Education Majors

During recent semesters, I have collected data on teacher education students' aca demic major and high school mathematics coursework at my university. These stu dents were enrolled in a secondary level

general methods course. About two-thirds of the subjects were women, and most were either juniors or seniors. All students

planned to become secondary teachers. The seventy-nine students who had not

completed coursework beyond geometry realistically appear to have had little op portunity to have chosen a college major in mathematics education (table 1). However, many of these people have exceptional in tellectual ability and with proper counsel

ing and persuasion early in their high school careers could have completed sec

ond-year algebra and senior mathematics. Informal discussions with these students in dicate that those students with the compe tence to have completed more mathematics can be divided into two groups. The first

group consists of those who did not like mathematics or had strong interests in aca demic subjects that did not require addi tional mathematics coursework. It would seem this group's members made a wise

and appropriate decision. The smaller, sec ond group enjoyed mathematics but were never aware of the potential employment opportunities for teachers in this field. More than once the comment was ex

pressed, "I wish I had known." But by de cisions often made during the sophomore year of high school, the opportunity to be come a mathematics educator became al most unattainable.

Students don't know there are opportunities in teaching.

Included in the sixty-six people who had

completed second-year algebra but chose not to become mathematics majors, there was surely a substantial number who had the competence to become excellent mathe

matics teachers. If only four of those sixty six (6 percent) could have been recruited, the number of mathematics trainees would have been doubled. If only one of the seven

physical education students who had com

pleted senior mathematics had changed majors, a 25 percent increase in supply would have resulted. One indication that several of these people had the potential to

TABLE 1 Highest Level of High School Mathematics Completed by Teacher Education Students in Various Teaching Areas

High School Background

General Algebra Mathematics 1 Geometry

Algebra Senior 2 Mathematics Total

Art

Business

English Foreign Language Home Economics

Industrial Education

Mathematics

Music

Physical Education

Science

Special Education

Speech & Theater

Social Studies

Undecided

Total 13 32 34 44* 26

19

11

12

2

14

7

4

7

31

11

7

4

18

2

149 * This total includes 5 students that had not completed a course in geometry.




change majors is that eighteen of the

twenty-two nonmathematics majors who had credit for senior mathematics chose to

complete a college mathematics course. This course selection was in spite of the

Salaries must be increased.

fact that their general education mathe matics requirement had been waived in most instances. How many of these sixty six people could have been recruited as

mathematics teacher trainees if counselors, administrators, teachers, and the general public had made students more aware of

the employment prospects?

Suggestions to Help Solve the Problem

Today we face an impending national crisis in securing quality people for em

ployment as mathematics teachers. How

ever, there appear to be people currently training to teach other subject areas who could have been trained to alleviate the

shortage. A concentrated effort must begin to achieve that result. The Council must

expand its efforts to publicize the serious ness of the problem. Government agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Education must fund projects seeking to alleviate the

shortage. Universities need to investigate programs and course sequences to deter mine if those who decide late to become mathematics teachers can be helped with out "watering down" the curriculum. And

finally, local school districts need to exam

ine their salary structure and either in crease the financial rewards for all teachers or provide extra incentives to those in the

shortage fields such as mathematics. But group action will only happen be

cause of individual actions. We as mathe

matics educators must take an active role to

help solve the problem. To that end I

would like to offer the following recom

mendations to complement those pre

viously stated by Dessart (1979a):

1. Provide guidance. Many of us have contact with students who have the desire to become teachers and the competence to

study mathematics. We can provide infor mation to them so that career plans will be

developed as the result of an informed, ra tional decision.

2. Write a letter. Legislators with whom I have had contact seem unaware that a

shortage of qualified mathematics teachers exists. If each of the 31 000 individual sub scribers to the Mathematics Teacher would

write one governmental representative, per haps this awareness would result in in creased government funding to promote programs encouraging more students to

prepare for mathematics teaching as a ca reer.

3. Inform the profession. Those in charge of program arrangements for professional meetings should secure speakers on the

topic. Put articles and newspaper clippings on faculty bulletin boards. At every oppor tunity discuss the problem with colleagues and friends.

4. Inform the public. This can be accom

plished by writing a letter to the local news

paper. We can also speak about the prob lem whenever possible. Club meetings, parties, Sunday school, or a chat with a

neighbor may provide a suitable opportu nity.

5. Be an outstanding teacher. Students often choose a field of study in the subject taught by a favorite teacher. Hence by our excellence in the classroom and demon strated excitement about mathematics, someone may choose to follow our ex

ample.

To provide a competent, fully qualified mathematics teacher for every student in the United States will be a long and diffi cult task. However, we must succeed! The

problem can be solved. The profession and

society will be better served if qualified mathematics teachers can be trained and

placed in each of our nation's classrooms.

REFERENCES Beck, Joan. "The Sexist Conditions in the World of

March 1981 177



Mathematics." San Francisco Examiner, 3 July 1976.

Dessart, Donald J. "Mathematics Teachers, Where Are You?" Reflections 27 (September 1979a):5, 10 11.

-. "Shortage of Mathematics Teachers" (in Reader Reflections). Mathematics Teacher 72 (De cember 1979b):643.

Dunathan, Arthur T. "Where Have All the Teachers Gone?" School and Community 66 (September 1979): 12-13.

Graybeal, William S. "Shortage of Mathematics Teachers" (in Reader Reflections). Mathematics Teacher 72 (December 1979):643.

Jacobson, Robert L. "Job Market of Teachers: Better Times Ahead?" Chronicle of Higher Education 18

(26 February 1979):7. "Job Outlook for Grads Good Despite Recession." Education USA 22 (17 December 1979): 122.

Lawlis, Parker L. Surplus or Shortage: The Employ ment Outlook for Teachers in Illinois. Compiled by the Placement Service, Illinois State University,

Normal, Illinois (February 1979). Pamphlet avail able on request.

Mathematical Knowledge and Skills. National Assess ment of Educational Progress, Suite 700, 1860 Lin coln Street, Denver, CO 80295, August 1979.

EA Research Memo: Teacher Supply and Demand in Public Schools. Published by the National Educa tion Association, 1201 Sixteenth Street, N.W.,

Washington, D. C. 20036, 1978.

Paul, Clyde A. "Bald Eagles, Sperm Whales, and Mathematics Teachers." Mathematics Teacher 12

(September 1979):424-27.

Schwarzweiler, Harry K., and Thomas A. Lyson. "Some Plan to Become Teachers: Determinants of Career Specification Among Rural Youth in Nor

way, Germany and the United States." Sociology of Education 51 (January 1978):29-43.

Sells, Lucy W. "Mathematics?a Critical Filter." Sci ence Teacher 45 (February 1978):28-29.

"Teacher Shortage: Is Texas Wave of the Future?" Education USA 22 (26 November 1979): 100.

The State of Missouri Supply and Demand Survey. Compiled by the Information and Placement Cen

ter, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield, MO 65802 (1979). Pamphlet available on request.

Watkins, Beverly T. "Number of College Graduates in Education Drops 4 Percent." Chronicle of Higher Education 18 (9 July 1979):10.

Women in the Labor Force: Some New Data Series. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statis

tics, Washington, D. C. (Quoted in Education USA 22 (26 November 1979): 100).

Sixty-one percent of the mathematics supervisors responding to an NCTM questionnaire in the fall of

1980 reported that finding a certified mathematics

teacher to fill a mathematics teaching vacancy for the

fall of 1980 was very difficult. These supervisors felt

that over the next two years the situation would

worsen, 73 percent predicting it would become very difficult-HEtf.

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THE MATHEMATICS TEACHER SHORTAGE—SOME SOLUTIONS