UF will be teaching more teachers, thanks to a new program.
UF joined the Science and Mathematics Teacher Imperative, a national initiative committed to preparing a higher number of quality high school math and science teachers.
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the nation’s oldest higher education association, began SMTI in late 2008. SMTI currently includes 125 institutions and 12 universities; UF joined in early October.
Tom Dana, associate dean for academic affairs at the College of Education and UF’s liaison to SMTI, said a good teacher would push students to pursue research and innovation. Students, in turn, will produce inventions such as “the new Google or Facebook” that ultimately drive the U.S. economy.
“[SMTI] is a great way to bring the resources of a great research university to solving problems in our society by having better math and science teachers,” Dana said.
UF Teach program allows students to major in math and science while pursuing an education minor.
Currently about 160 students are enrolled in math and science education classes since the program started a year ago.
