Partnerships Between TYCs and Four-Year Institutions

We are faced with a severe shortage of certificated STEM teachers, especially in physics. At the present time, four year institutions are struggling to address this shortage with only a handful of schools graduating two or more physics educators each year. The science education community must therefore focus more attention on the important role of the two year college (TYC), where one third to one half of our STEM majors begin their college careers. In this session, we will explore the obstacles and prospects for recruiting math and science teachers from TYCs from the perspectives of three institutions who are interested in developing meaningful collaborations between the TYC and the four year institution. Group discussions will consider options and look for solutions.