Overview
History
Fellowship Programs
Professional Development and Mentorship
Overview
Founded in 2004, Math for America (MƒA) is a private nonprofit organization with a mission to improve math education in US public secondary schools. With sites in Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, San Diego and Washington, DC, MƒA recruits, trains and retains outstanding mathematics teachers. MƒA offers Fellowships for both new and experienced teachers, including the MƒA Fellowship, which aims to increase the number of mathematically talented individuals entering the teaching profession, as well as the MƒA Early Career Fellowship and MƒA Master Teacher Fellowship, which support outstanding mathematics teachers already in the classroom.
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History
MƒA was founded in New York City by a group of businessmen, mathematicians and educators, led by Jim Simons, president of Renaissance Technologies, a private investment firm that uses innovative mathematical methods to make investment decisions. MƒA was the congressional model for legislation creating the new National Science Foundation Teaching and Master Teaching Fellowships through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program in the America COMPETES Act.
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Fellowship Programs
The MƒA Fellowship, MƒA Early Career Fellowship and MƒA Master Teacher Fellowship are based on three key principles:
- To teach math effectively, one needs a strong knowledge of mathematics, solid pedagogical skills and a desire and ability to interact with young people.
- Generous incentives make it possible to recruit mathematically qualified individuals into teaching and to retain outstanding mathematics teachers.
- By providing strong support services, including continuing education, mentoring and professional development, it is possible to inspire a commitment to a long-term career as a mathematics teacher.
MƒA Fellowship
The MƒA Fellowship is a five-year program where recent college graduates and mid-career professionals make a commitment to teach math in public secondary schools. MƒA Fellows are mathematically sophisticated individuals who are new to teaching and use their talents to make a difference in students’ lives. The program includes one year earning a master’s degree in education and four years of teaching math in public secondary schools. The MƒA Fellowship provides a full tuition scholarship, annual stipends of up to $100,000 over five years, in addition to a full time teacher’s salary, and mentoring and professional development services. During the fifth year, Fellows may apply to become Master Teachers.
MƒA Early Career Fellowship
The MƒA Early Career Fellowship, a pilot program, provides professional support and growth opportunities to current new teachers of secondary mathematics in a New York City public school or recent graduates of education training programs who are certified to teach in New York City and have secured an eligible job. The four-year program includes annual stipends of up to $70,000 over four years, camaraderie with a cohort of outstanding secondary math teachers, mentoring and professional development support.
MƒA Master Teacher Fellowship
The MƒA Master Teacher Fellowship rewards exceptional public secondary school math teachers with a four-year Fellowship in New York City or Boston. The Master Teacher Fellowship includes annual stipends of up to $60,000 over four years, professional development and leadership opportunities and support for mathematical and educational interests.
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Professional Development and Mentorship
MƒA places much of its success in its commitment to providing professional enrichment, developing leaders and creating a strong community of mathematics teachers.
MƒA has six New Teacher Advisors for the MƒA NY Fellowship and Early Career Fellowship. These Advisors mentor Fellows for a two-year cycle, visiting them on a regular basis in their classrooms and offering instructional support. MƒA also hosts a variety of workshops and seminars to keep Fellows connected to one another and learn new math and education skills and strategies. Selected meetings are open to the public and Fellows are encouraged to bring colleagues and other department members. In addition, MƒA urges Fellows and Master Teachers to create professional development sessions and attend and present at local and national conferences.
MƒA New York has created a Professional Development and Outreach (PDO) group with the Park City Math Institute to support mathematics teachers in the five boroughs through workshops and outreach activities. In addition, MƒA Los Angeles has worked with Harvey Mudd College and the Park City Math Institute to establish the Harvey Mudd Professional Development and Outreach Group for mathematics teachers in the Los Angeles area.
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