Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) introduced a key bill to help prepare students across the country for jobs in today's economy by investing in educators who teach science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum.
The STEM Master Teacher Corps Act would offer career advancement opportunities and pay boosts to the best STEM teachers. The Corps members will, in turn, mentor other teachers and share best practices with the STEM education community to improve the ability of all teachers. You can read more about the bill here.
"As I travel across Minnesota, one thing I consistently hear from our businesses is that when students graduate, they need to be ready to fill high-skilled jobs that are available now," said Sen. Franken. "For that to happen, it's critical that we make strong investments in STEM education. But we also need to make sure that we're seeing the best return on those investments. Creating a STEM Master Teacher Corps will give a leg up to our new STEM teachers, and ultimately, it will help ensure that our students are equipped with the skills they need to be competitive in a global economy. At the same time, my bill will provide support, advancement opportunities, and recognition to our best teachers."
"STEM education is critical for the United States to remain the worldwide leader in technology," said Rep. Honda. "The businesses in my Silicon Valley district want our graduates to be ready to take their places in the innovation economy. The STEM Master Teacher Corps Act will create a great team of STEM teachers who will improve the education of children across the nation. I'm especially pleased that it will focus on high-need schools so we can move towards a more equitable education for each and every child."
The STEM Master Teacher Corps Act, which Sen. Franken first introduced in 2011, would do the following:
Establish Competitive Regional Grants. The bill will provide competitive grants to states or large consortia of districts, in partnership with universities or non-profits, to plan and implement a Master Teacher Corps program.
Put an Emphasis on Leading, Mentoring, and Impacting the STEM Community. Corps members will receive specialized training in leadership, mentorship, and content and pedagogical skills relevant to STEM. Corps members will also network with one another to share resources and best practices. In addition, they will lead, mentor, and share the best practices they've learned from the Corps with other teachers in their schools and districts.
Focus on High-Need Schools. Many minority, low-income, and rural students score significantly lower on standardized tests, particularly in math and science, than their more advantaged peers. To better reach these students, the bill requires that 75 percent of Corps members teach at high-need schools and that there is a fair distribution of Corps members to rural areas.
Increase Pay. In recognition of their increased leadership responsibilities, and the fact that STEM experts can typically earn more lucrative salaries outside of the teaching profession, this bill will provide for significant salary increases for STEM Master Teacher Corps members.
Report and Evaluate. The bill provides for the evaluation of the impact of the program and the dissemination of best practices for developing and retaining STEM teachers based on lessons learned from the program.