The Achievement Network Joins Movement to Secure Excellent STEM Teachers

 

100Kin10 Making Quick Progress Toward Goal of Training and Retaining 100,000 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Teachers in 10 Years

New York, NY, January 18, 2012— An innovative movement to recruit, prepare, and retain 100,000 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers in 10 years has achieved critical mass with the addition of new, quantifiable commitments by more than 30 educational and corporate partners.

The Achievement Network (ANet) will support new STEM teachers to dramatically improve their effectiveness in the classroom by equipping them to set ambitious goals, plan backward from standards, track progress, and make data-driven decisions. Currently, ANet supports 2,500 STEM teachers in 250 schools across nine urban areas. “We are thrilled to expand our work with STEM teachers and join a network of over 115 other partners focused on excellent STEM teaching,” said CEO Mora Segal.

The 100Kin10 movement was launched in June 2011 at the Clinton Global Initiative with an initial pledge by partners to raise $20 million to support the creative and strategic efforts of partner organizations to expand the nation’s STEM teaching force. The 100Kin10 partners announced today were accepted following a rigorous vetting process conducted by the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute, which reviews each nominee’s capacity to advance the goal through new commitments to action.

100Kin10 was convened by Carnegie Corporation of New York and Opportunity Equation to respond to a national imperative voiced by President Barack Obama to stimulate the supply of excellent mathematics and science teachers, but also to continue to improve their practice and keep them in classrooms.

The movement is inspired by a vision of a future—shared by stakeholders from federal agencies to states, museums to universities, teacher residencies to school districts, non-profits to corporations, and teachers to parents—where all students have the STEM literacy necessary to be full participants in the nation’s economy and democracy. The 100Kin10 partners believe change can only come if they—and many others—commit to harnessing their creativity, passion, and resources to increase and equitably fill teaching positions across all schools in all states with excellent STEM teachers. Each of the more than 115 partners has committed to using their resources and talent to grow the movement and has established measurable goals toward this end.

“The country is at a critical juncture: Our need for STEM capacity in every part of our economy far outpaces our ability to train and keep great STEM talent," noted Talia Milgrom-Elcott, program officer at Carnegie Corporation of New York who, with Maya (Agarwal) Lundhagen of Opportunity Equation, is leading this effort. "We need more than just an infusion of excellent STEM teachers, we must find new ways to identify and recruit talented women and men and support them once they’re in the classroom so that they keep improving and continue teaching our children. The magnitude and complexity of the challenge of 100,000 excellent STEM teachers demand new ways to galvanize into action an array of organizations from business and universities to nonprofits and state agencies. That is why Carnegie Corporation and Opportunity Equation created 100Kin10, a national platform through which a broad cross-section of best-in-class organizations commit to take action toward the overall goal. We are enthusiastic about the contributions of this newest cohort of 100Kin10 partners and welcome them to the effort."

The complete list of 100Kin10 partners and their commitments is available on the new 100Kin10 website, showcasing the breadth and depth of work being done to support this critical movement by increasing the supply of excellent STEM teachers; hiring, developing and retaining excellent STEM teachers; and building the 100Kin10 movement.