The Impact of a STEM Educator

New Jersey needs stronger STEM education support.

According to STEM Opportunity Index data, fewer than 40% of eighth-grade students understand their teachers when learning STEM subjects. This aligns with the state’s grades from the index—a B- and C for eighth-grade and fourth-grade math proficiency, respectively.

It’s common knowledge that teacher shortages have affected the number of educators in all subjects nationally. At the statewide level, a report from Rutgers University’s John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development found that 10% of teachers leave the profession within the first three years. Additionally, the report found that the number of provisional teaching certificates issued in New Jersey during the 2022-2023 school year dropped nearly 40% from the previous decade.

Since 2009, STEM teacher shortages have been reported by most states every year, with districts reporting difficulty filling STEM positions three to four times more than other positions. Adding to that challenge is teacher preparedness, as a portion of math (30%), biology (26%) and physical science (54%) do not have a degree connected to their discipline. Comparatively, 21% of English teachers lack a degree related to their teaching assignment.

It is beneficial for New Jersey to invest in STEM teachers because there is a heightened need to close demographic gaps and meet the demands of a growing STEM workforce. Read on to learn why STEM educators are so important to student learning, confidence and success. 

A great STEM teacher can destroy harmful stereotypes and improve outcomes

Nearly all STEM teachers are white.

Data analyzed between 2004 and 2021 found that 6% of STEM teachers were either Black, Hispanic, Asian or Indigenous, with the remaining educators being white.

While STEM needs greater diversification in general, it is essential for education and student outcomes. For girls, the perception that boys are better at math and science starts as young as six. These harmful stereotypes affect self-confidence in female students, preventing them from taking risks and overall hindering motivation. While there are more female STEM teachers now compared to 20 years ago, the number is still disproportionate when these numbers are broken down. For example, America's general education teaching force is 10.4% male; however, men make up 34.9% of math teachers. 

An educator’s race is connected to student outcomes as well, with the American Economic Journal publishing supporting data:

“We find that Black students randomly assigned to at least one Black teacher in grades K–3 are 9 percentage points (13 percent) more likely to graduate from high school. They are 6 percentage points (19 percent) more likely to enroll in college than their same-school, same-cohort Black peers who are not assigned a Black teacher.”

The harmful stereotypes referenced above are also why districts struggle to recruit and retain a diverse STEM teaching force. Teachers of color report feeling marginalized and unsupported in their roles, as well as pressure to assimilate into a white culture. All these combined accelerate burnout, a big contributor to STEM teacher shortages.

Quality STEM instruction can strengthen the STEM workforce

STEM fields are the fastest growing nationally and globally, but STEM educators are in short supply. Having a high-quality education in these fields is needed to meet the increasing number of jobs in the market.

Recent research found that “the production and retention of STEM teachers, particularly qualified STEM teachers, may contribute to the leaky STEM pipeline in the United States. … Strategic and targeted financial investment into STEM education can increase more STEM graduates and more STEM teachers.”

STEM’s role in the workforce is already significant and continues to grow. In New Jersey, STEM employs 475,500 people, representing 12% of the state's jobs. The industry is so large that there are 1.4 open jobs for every unemployed person in New Jersey.

High-quality STEM educators play an important role in preparing the future workforce. Student interest in STEM careers begins to wane in adolescence, which is why middle and high school teachers are pivotal in holding student attention.

“We need to help them see the opportunities in STEM that spark their curiosity and gain belief that they can confidently explore all the possibilities available to them in STEM, including those that go beyond the traditional STEM careers like mathematician or scientist,” Richard Rende, Ph.D. shared with Upworthy. “It could be a vet, a nurse, wireless network engineer, arborist, audio engineer, turf scientist, or mechanical engineer and may not be a career that requires years and years of higher education.”

This program supports STEM teacher recruitment

ParaPreppED is a new teacher apprenticeship program that provides necessary resources for substitute teachers and paraprofessionals to become certified full-time teachers, particularly focused on recruiting talent in science and math.

“Though the need for student support professionals is exceptionally high, individuals who serve as teacher aides and paraprofessionals face significant professional barriers, which impact recruitment and retention,” said Kwamé Floyd, founder and executive director of Teacher Apprenticeship Network.

The program’s format accommodates the unique experiences and needs of substitute teachers and paraprofessionals, making the appropriate channels easy for them to reach.

Overall, the program aims to:

• Increase the number of Registered Teacher Apprenticeships in the state;
• Expand the teacher pipeline, leveraging the existing district talent;
• Address barriers for aspiring teachers through targeted support like Praxis prep; and
• Conduct and disseminate ongoing research on the implementation and impact of the initiative.

“Investment in these professionals is not only a moral imperative, but it is also our most viable path to saving the teaching profession,” Floyd said.

If you’re considering following your dream of teaching, Rutgers Alternate Route can offer you the support and training you need to succeed. Be sure to follow Rutgers Alternate Route on Twitter and sign up for Alternate Route’s monthly newsletter for more information and stories from the field of education.