Federal Grant Helps Math for America L.A.

By Andrea Bennett on September 24, 2009 11:27 AM

Math for America Los Angeles has been awarded $1.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds through a National Science Foundation grant.

The five-year grant allows the program to recruit and accept larger cohorts for years to come, said Pam Mason, executive director of Math for America L.A.

As a partnership among the USC Rossier School of Education, Claremont Graduate University and Harvey Mudd College, Math for America works to recruit and retain talented teachers within the public school system.

In August, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan noted a National Center for Education Statistics analysis that found U.S. high school students placed in the bottom quarter in math scores when compared to countries in the Organization for Economic Development, emphasizing the need to recruit good math teachers.

Much of the difficulty in recruiting and retaining capable math educators stems from the fact that most math-related professions pay substantially more than teaching. The fellowship compensates its participants for this financial disparity.

The program, which originated in New York City, has been lauded by President Obama for its success in training math teachers and placing them in high-needs schools.

Recent college graduates or mid-career professionals who are accepted into the five-year program make a commitment to teach math in public schools. Fellows earn a master’s degree the first year and spend the remaining four years teaching in local high schools.

The fellowship includes a full tuition scholarship and stipends totaling up to $100,000 over five years in addition to a full-time teacher’s salary, as well as mentoring and professional development services.

Math for America Los Angeles launched in 2008 with a cohort of 11 fellows. This year, 14 new fellows were added to the program - an increase that can be attributed to both greater interest in the program and financial support from the federal grant.

The majority of 2009 fellows come to the program with either a B.A. or a B.S. in mathematics and a firm commitment to teach in urban schools. Several fellows hold degrees in other fields such as physics, engineering and commerce.

With funds from the federal grant, Math for America will infuse larger cohorts of math teachers into Los Angeles area schools, which increases the scale of the program’s impact on math education and students’ interest in and pursuit of careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

As is often stated, a more highly educated workforce in these areas is imperative for an economy preparing to compete and thrive globally in the future.

“The implications of this program’s ability to reach more schools, and in turn more students, are great for the future of our communities and for the nation,” said Karen Symms Gallagher, dean of the USC Rossier School.

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