In the next decade, the number of jobs in STEM fields is projected to grow 10.5%, with median annual wages nearly double those of non-STEM careers. This stability—this wealth—has the potential to lift up underserved communities in an unprecedented way. But in order to access it, low-income students and students of color will have to overcome some major challenges. For the most part, these are challenges that the individual students have exactly zero control over; things like: will they even have teachers to teach them STEM subjects? Schools that are in the top quartile of serving students of color see a 90% higher turnover rate among math and science teachers than the quartile of schools serving the most white students. At Title I schools, turnover rates for math and science teachers are nearly 70% higher than at non-Title I schools.
So why aren’t there more qualified teachers in these schools?