E-Training For Teachers Teaching Science And Math - A Public/Private PartnershipBusinesses as well as school administrators and parents are concerned about the lack of qualified math & science teachers in U.S. public school systems. Some companies are so concerned that they've started a partnership with the University of California-Irvine to provide e-training for teachers teaching science and math. They've developed an online training program to help those teachers improve their knowledge of the subject matter. The goals of the program are to offer a series of ecourses to be taken online, which will prepare K-12 teachers to pass the CSET (California Subject Examination for Teachers). Roughly 2 out of 5 California teachers fail the CSET on their first try. But the program is not only for California math & science teachers, it's also designed to help teachers across the nation meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which mandates minimum competency requirements for teachers regarding the subject matter they teach. The biggest supporters of the program in the business world are the Boeing Company and the Flora Hewlett Foundation, which are donating $150,000 and $200,000 respectively to help fund the initiative. The program was initiated in response to statistics indicating a dearth in the number of qualified math & science teachers as evidenced by standardized test scores. Something had to be done and this program is seen as a cost-effective way to address the challenge. The online delivery system is key because it allows access to teachers in rural areas that otherwise could be left out. A centralized system also allows for slightly different content tailored to meet the requirements of individual states, and also allows program administrators to easily update content to accommodate changes in education policies and curriculum. The objective is to reach as broad and diverse an audience as possible, while at the same time still being able to tailor the content offerings on an individual basis. The program is intended not only for current teachers who need to become NCLB-compliant, but also for college students intending to become teachers who want to get a head start on their careers. In the future, program administrator envision a program allowing access to parents that will enable them to work with their children in developing math & science skills. Private industry involvement is both welcome and needed. It could be easily argued that in the end, private industry is the ultimate end user and beneficiary of any programs that create more highly qualified teachers which in turn produce higher achieving students. Eventually, these students enter the workforce in varying capacities and spend their working careers in the business world. So while certainly not totally altruistic in nature, capital contributions from private industry are not only vital to the funding and success of not only programs providing e-training for teachers teaching science and math, but any program that improves the skills of today's teachers. These contributions are in essence a long-term investment by industry which will ultimately improve the pool of workers available to guide businesses successfully into the future. |