State of ‘STEM-ocracy’ Discussed at Math for America’s Master Teachers on Teaching Event
Editor’s note: The event described here took place in 2016 and was featured in the Simons Foundation 2016 annual report.
“Math isn’t fundamentally about numbers — it’s a way of thinking about the world,” says John Ewing, president of Math for America (MƒA).
In its own words, MƒA works to “make teaching a viable, rewarding, and respected career choice for the best minds in science and mathematics.” To that end, MƒA identifies outstanding K-12 mathematics and science teachers and awards renewable four-year fellowships, which provide stipends and connect teachers with one another to foster collaboration and ongoing learning. The goal is to inspire outstanding teachers to stay in the classroom, as well as to amplify their impact while they are there. There are currently more than 1,000 MƒA teachers in New York City.
MƒA prides itself on what it calls a “teacher-to-teacher” approach to professional development: MƒA teachers lead a variety of courses each semester for and with their peers. As part of this community-building activity, MƒA holds an annual event called MT² — Master Teachers on Teaching — in which MƒA Master Teachers give TED-style talks and share their expertise with the MƒA community.
