GeauxTeach STEM Program Hosts Joint Math Summit with Teaching Programs Across the SEC

Driven by the goal of increasing the pipeline of qualified STEM educators nationwide, mathematics education faculty from across the SEC held their third annual summit in Baton Rouge at Louisiana State University.

Summit Goals: 

• Discuss regional teacher recruitment strategies
• Define strategies to promote teacher education pathways throughout the Southeastern Conference
• Share structures and program innovations that result in teacher retention
• Plan regional events that support strong teacher networks and build community

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Louisiana State University's College of Science and School of Education hosted mathematics education faculty from across the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to address STEM teaching shortages at their third in-person summit. The working group, titled the SEC+ Mathematics Education Community (SEC+MEC), has been meeting regularly for over two years to discuss regional and national trends in teacher recruitment and retention.  This is the group's first meeting in Louisiana, with previous meetings at universities in Kentucky and Florida, before the GeauxTeach STEM program at LSU invited participants as the host institution in October 2024. 

The two-day summit held sessions focused on improving the communication and recruitment strategy for math education programs across the Southeast. The GeauxTeach STEM program at LSU is a partner program between the College of Science and the School of Education, where students in Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics can earn their teaching certification while pursuing their undergraduate degree.

Hosted by LSU College of Science Director of Special Programs Dr. James "Jim" Madden, Patricia Hewlett Bodin Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, the event welcomed in-person and virtual attendees from universities including Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. The SEC+ MEC, a collaborative group that has met monthly online for years, along with an annual convening, continues to expand its efforts to address the critical shortage of mathematics teachers in the region.

Madden said it was a special opportunity to welcome the group to Louisiana State University.  In an invitation to participants, Dr. Madden shared that "the collaboration and partnerships fostered at this event have supported the recruitment, retention, and high-quality preparation of secondary mathematics educators around the Southeast, with a special focus on Mathematics Education preparation and teacher retention."

Currently, a widespread shortage of math & science teachers exists across the nation, with acute shortages particularly in the Southeast. Over the last five years, universities have experienced a decline in enrollment for mathematics teacher preparation programs. The shortage of teachers poses a risk to students’ long term success in STEM fields. Throughout the summit, members of the SEC+ MEC were intent on addressing the key issues contributing to teacher shortages and employing innovative strategies that could be used across partner institutions in the Southeastern Conference. "We think this opportunity to support our peers will benefit the SEC as a whole and will be a distinction for our own institution," says co-host Dr. Joshua Ellis, Associate Professor of Science/STEM education in the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education and Associate Director of Secondary Education Initiatives within the College of Human Sciences & Education.

The two day summit covered various topics from student scholarship and research offerings through the NSF funded Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, to branding and marketing strategies that introduce students to teaching pathways, to talking recruitment with LSU's gymnastics coach and 2024 national champion Jay Clark.  Participants learned about regional and state guidelines for teacher certification pathways and discussed barriers that exist for future math and science educators.  The summit concluded by setting goals that promote and encourage students in math and science to consider teaching as a valuable and noble career.