CEDAR FALLS -- Ryan Hickerson is a wanted man.

The 26-year-old was one of only a handful of students to graduate from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in physics this spring. His interest in math and science likely would have yielded him big bucks in the competitive private sector, but instead Hickerson chose a path less taken.

He decided to use his education to teach others.

"I really enjoy working with youth and after being encouraged by my wife, who also told me money wasn't an issue, I decided to go after education," he said last week on the way to another job interview.

As more private sector careers require degrees in math and science, fewer graduates choose teaching as their profession. Perks like winter and summer vacations can no longer compete with the high-dollar salaries that often accompany other career options. Experts say this shift is causing problems in school districts across the nation.

"I have superintendents and building administrators who say we once had 300 applicants for a job opening. Now they have 20," said Linda Nelson, president of the Iowa State Education Association. "In rural districts, some schools have gone an entire year with a substitute. While we are grateful for substitutes, it means those students are sometimes missing a whole quarter or even a year of instruction from a teacher qualified in that area."

The repercussions are much more dire than a classroom of students unprepared for the next year of lessons. If the situation isn't solved soon many worry the United States will fall behind in this global economy.

"We are already seeing signs of not necessarily failure, but of falling behind internationally," said Jeff Weld, an associate biology professor at UNI. "Our test scores in math and science are, it would be kind to say, dismal compared to some other nations' scores."

Weld also points to the outsourcing of engineers as an "indicator that we are falling drastically behind."

Who is leaving and why

According to the Iowa Department of Education Condition of Education report, about one-third of all Iowa teachers are 51 or older. More than 10 percent of the state's 34,000 teachers are over 56. Similar statistics abound nationwide as the baby boomers begin to contemplate retirement.

Judy Jeffrey, director of the Iowa Department of Education, said 88 physics teachers are eligible to retire. Less than one dozen students graduated from Iowa universities this spring with the degrees necessary to fill those positions.

"We would be extremely lucky to get all of them," Jeffrey said. "They are very highly sought after."

But, experts, like Richard Ingersoll, a professor of education and sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, believe nationwide there are enough new graduates to replace retirees. In April Ingersoll wrote an article for the National Science Teacher's Association that outlined key points in the math and science teacher shortage. He said the real strain is replacing those teachers who leave the profession after only a few years. Multiple studies have shown between 40 and 50 percent of all new teachers leave the profession within five years.

Ingersoll's study showed more than 45,000 math and science teachers left teaching after the 1999-2000 school year. Only 11,000 left due to retirement. About 24,000 cited job dissatisfaction as their reason for leaving.

Strides were made during the 2007 Legislative season -- the state promised an additional $145 million over two years to increase teacher pay -- but many still say money is the primary reason math- and science-minded people choose to use their talents outside the classroom. As of July 1, the state minimum salary for teachers will be $26,500. According to monster.com professionals in math and science related fields in the Cedar Valley can expect a starting salary of no less than $34,000.

Jeffrey said some retirees have opted to stick around for a few more years because of the pay increase, which could help Iowa through a few tough years.

But the government needs to continue to monitor teacher pay issues so this same issue doesn't reappear in another seven to 10 years.

Tony Burns, the chair of the science department at East High, said some teachers are discouraged by expectations they should parent the children in the classroom, but are then reprimanded when a parent or guardian feels it was inappropriate.

"There was a time when there were no questions asked, and teachers were supported 100 percent by the families. Now, parents question a lot of things teachers do, and a lot of young people say it's not worth it anymore to put up with that," Burns said.

Dave Kofoed, head of the math department at Cedar Falls High School, said job security in districts with declining enrollment is another hurdle for many contemplating the profession.

In his study, Ingersoll said lack of support from school administration, student discipline problems and a lack of teacher input into the decision-making process are top reasons young people leave the profession. Other criticisms included large class sizes, no opportunities for advancement and inadequate time to prepare lessons.

Laurie Hayzlett, a science consultant for AEA 267, said the latter is especially true in smaller districts where the science department consists of only one teacher.

"Those teachers are teaching several different classes a day, so they may have four or five different preps, where if you teach in Cedar Falls, you will teach five sections, but it is all biology," Hayzlett said.

Hickerson, the new UNI graduate, wants to teach physics but is also certified to teach chemistry. He grew up in Aurora, Ill., where there were at least two teachers for each kind of science. Hickerson is talking with several districts, but said being able to focus on his area of interest will help secure his spot in a new school.

Finding a solution

Solving this problem won't be quick or easy.

In 2001, the American Association for the Advancement of Science released Project 2061, an initiative to advance literacy in science, math and technology. Hayzlett said 2061 may seem a long way off, but the AAAS believes it will take that long to really change society's views on math and science.

"In order to really right the ship and get it going on course again, it will take several generations," she said. "We are not talking a quick fix."

Most say the current Legislature's commitment to education is a step in the right direction. The new money will boost Iowa's place in the teacher pay scale rankings from 40th to 25th in the next two years. But, more money will be needed to sustain that progress, Burns said.

"What I've seen in the past is we make headway to the middle, and then nothing is done to maintain that position," he said.

Incentive programs could help schools compete with higher-paying professions, Nelson said. In Iowa, teachers in shortage areas, like math and science, may be eligible for forgivable student loans through both state and federal programs. Many districts, including Waterloo and Cedar Falls, are using market-factor pay to attract in-demand teachers. The extra money, separate from bargaining agreements or incentives, was approved by the Legislature last year. It lets districts offer incentives like sign-on bonuses and reimbursement for additional certifications to in-demand teachers.

Kofoed would like to see additional incentives, like a program once funded by Congress and the National Science Foundation that encouraged math and science teachers to further their own education.

President George W. Bush touched on the issue during his January 2006 State of the Union address, proposing $380 million to recruit more math and science teachers.

The state's three universities are also looking at ways to recruit more students into this teaching field. The Board of Regents recently asked UNI President Benjamin Allen to head up a Mathematics and Science Education Collaboration that would find ways to do just that. UNI is working with Iowa State and Iowa as well as the state's K-12 schools and even businesses to determine what can be done to improve math and science performance in the classroom and prepare more high-quality teachers for Iowa schools.

"We don't know all the answers. We plan to ask a lot of questions," Allen said. "But we do know we have all these people on campus doing a lot of different great things, but the impact is probably not as good as it could have been because it is not coordinated. Put that at Iowa State or Iowa and multiply the results by three."

And parents must get involved in a positive way, Weld said. A demand for quality teachers will "draw the collective political will" needed to solve this problem.

For now, Jeffrey said, some districts are relying on sharing agreements and online technology to bring the right educational materials to students. State graduation requirements, recently strengthened at the high school level, dictate students have access to high-level math and science courses.

"This is sort of a perfect storm. We have higher expectations for our students and are wanting them to graduate with even more skills than before, but we don't have enough teachers," Jeffrey said.

If the problem persists

The effects of failure are already being felt in some places.

Major U.S. companies are outsourcing engineering positions. American students aren't posting satisfactory scores on standardized math and science tests. Art teachers are filling in for physics teachers in schools across the nation.

"More than 50 percent of the computer and electrical engineers in Silicon Valley are nonresidents," Allen said. "IBM is investing billions and billions of dollars in India."

"This is our Sputnik," Weld added.

Sputnik was the world's first artificial satellite launched into space in 1957 by the Russians. The launch marked the start of the space age and also ushered in a new era of competition between the U.S. and Russia in all things related to math, science and technology.

"These things aren't quite the same as a Sputnik going up, but collectively, it actually looks scarier to me," Allen said. "This is the kind of thing where you say you can't fail."

Weld said the impact won't just be economic.

"There is also a much more cerebral impact, which is the critical thinking, logical thinking capacity, informed voter capacity … the wise consumer at the grocery store. The functioning citizen in a scientifically and mathematically reliant society is really disadvantaged if this should continue," Weld said.

The future isn't totally grim though, Weld said.

"Since March I am pretty supercharged about the outlook," Weld said. "In the first place, there is an unprecedented amount of attention on this issue. In my 20 years in this profession I can't remember a time when we garnered more attention."

Contact Emily Christensen at (319) 291-1520 or emily.christensen@wcfcourier.com.

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