Dr. Clif CleavelandPublic school programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) face two major problems: a severe shortage of qualified teachers and outdated curricula.
Four innovative programs, each the product of sustained hard work by educational and civic visionaries, address deficiencies in STEM education in our region.
UTeaChattanooga (www.utc.edu/UTeaChattanooga) is beginning its third year of operation at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Modeled after a successful program in the education of STEM teachers at the University of Texas, UTeaCh recruits students who wish to major in a STEM area and prepare for a career in teaching in middle and high schools.
Students enjoy classroom teaching experiences from their first year forward under the supervision of master teachers on the UTC faculty and mentors in selected public schools. Their classroom encounters include supervised time in elementary, middle school, and high school.
They earn bachelor degrees in the STEM area of their choice and are prepared to be certified to teach upon graduation. The program has proved quite popular among students. Attractive job offers await them upon graduation. A large majority elect careers in teaching.