Intent on addressing Maine's science teacher shortage

Portland Press Herald, April 27, 2008

(excerpt) The Maine Mathematics and Science Teaching Excellence program, started in September 2000, provided nearly $1 million in scholarship support spread among 219 students.

Before the program began, the UMaine system had 237 teacher candidates. That number had jumped to 382 when the initiative ended in 2006, a 70 percent increase.

NATIONAL PROBLEM

Despite that increase in teaching candidates, the Maine Department of Education still lists math and science as subjects with teaching shortages.

David Connerty-Marin of the education department said Maine's situation reflects a national problem.

Eberle said one of the challenges in recruiting science and math students into the teaching profession is competition from private industry.

Typically, he said, such students can earn a much higher salary outside the classroom as engineers, chemists, computer programmers and surveyors, among other occupations.

That competition is expected to increase as the demands of the economy call more and more for people with advanced technical skills.