WVU begins new project to remedy state's math teacher shortage

The project will help develop a new master’s degree program in secondary mathematics education at WVU. The long-term goal is to create a reliable talent pipeline of secondary math teachers who can act in a leadership capacity in addition to teaching.

“The need to increase the numbers of highly qualified mathematics and science teachers is a statewide concern in West Virginia and a university-wide mission at WVU,” said Gay Stewart, director of STEM education for the College of Education and Human Services and co-principal investigator on the grant.

“With nearly one in every 18 West Virginia classrooms led by an individual who is not a certified teacher, according to the West Virginia Board of Education, it is critical we recruit, secure and retain secondary teachers who can take on leadership roles statewide,” Stewart said.

Matthew Campbell, an assistant professor of mathematics education, said this initiative is very different from past methods to address teacher shortages. Mainly, he said, this one is more about retaining and improving the teachers that are already in place. There are plenty of teachers out there, but the challenge is convincing them to stay.

When it comes to teacher retention, Campbell said much has been made already in the area of pay and compensation, but those aren’t the only factors to consider. The issue then becomes a matter of job satisfaction and opportunities to grow in their career, which has often been lacking. He said the goal this time around is to find ways for teachers to become leaders among other teachers and school functions rather than a principal or administrator.

“We really want this to come from the ground up,” he said. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel.”

The long-term nature of this project means enlisting stakeholders at various levels to find out from them directly what their concerns are and how this can work.

To do this, the university will partner with Pocahontas County Schools, represented by county math coach and WVU alumnus Joanna Burt-Kinderman. The West Virginia Department of Education and the American Institutes for Research will also contribute by bringing in key stakeholders together to develop a vision and plan of action.

Burt-Kinderman said she is from Pocahontas County, moved away from West Virginia but later returned, something that doesn’t often happen and is a pattern she’d like to see reversed. She explained that this will be multi-step and multi-year process that will require further grant proposals down the road. However, she expressed confidence in its viability because so far no other comprehensive measure to correct the teacher crisis has been attempted on such a grassroots level before; it’s all coming from minds within the state rather than trying to replicate something that’s been tried in another state.

“We’re trying very carefully not to prescribe those,” she said. “We’re not going to build something completely scripted and make it work no matter what.”

U.S. Senators Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, helped secure the grant funding.

“These researchers are working hard to improve mathematics teaching techniques and develop a network of mathematics teacher leaders — both across the state and across all levels of curriculum,” Manchin said. “I am pleased that this funding will give professional support to the men and women who dedicate their lives to teaching our young people.”

As the economy continues to change and diversify in the digital age, Capito stressed the importance of expanding and improving math education so the state’s students can be competitive on a global scale.