Key points:
The critical shortage of qualified STEM teachers continues to challenge schools and districts across the country. This is especially true in high-need schools where early-career or uncertified teachers are more common.
With almost half of all new educators leaving the profession within their first five years, and teacher satisfaction at its lowest in two decades, school and district leaders have a big task at hand. They not only need to fill open positions, but they need to put the structures into place to build a sustainable pipeline of STEM teachers. This is essential for providing students with engaging, hands-on, and equitable learning experiences.
If you ask engineers, technicians, or other professionals what led them to their careers, you will almost always hear the same thing: “A teacher inspired me.” We all understand how essential STEM educators are in shaping future innovators. However, too often, we overlook what it takes to support and sustain the very teachers who spark that journey.
In a recent webinar, I facilitated a panel conversation with Dr. Josh Stewart, founder of Rocky Mountain Research & Strategy, and Jess Holman, STEM specialist at NSTA, who shared in-depth insights on this topic as well as practical strategies to support school and district leaders in this undertaking.
Here are takeaways from this conversation and five ways to effectively attract, retain, and support STEM teachers this school year and beyond.
1. Have a clear vision
When recruiting for open roles, remember that teachers are drawn to strong leadership, a clear school vision, and a culture that emphasizes innovation and respect. When leaders showcase their commitment to equity, professional growth, and student-centered learning, teachers are typically interested in joining–and staying at–that school.
During the recruitment period, highlight your school’s unique culture, use of technology, mentorship programs, and commitment to STEM innovation. With candidates, ask meaningful interview questions about their real-world teaching experience, instructional approach, and vision for their own classroom to ensure it is a mutual fit, but don’t overlook their soft skills. Relationship building, resilience, and adaptability are all qualities of an exemplary teacher.
Above all, it is important that any candidate is passionate about teaching and eager to make a difference in the classroom. These are the individuals who are worth investing in and the ones who are most likely to continue to show up and grow into the profession.
2. Leverage grow-your-own and apprenticeship programs
To meet immediate staffing needs, many districts are turning to teacher apprenticeship or “grow-your-own” (GYO) models. States like Tennessee, South Dakota, and Colorado, for example, have seen success with this structured pathway approach, especially when stipends and microcredential opportunities are offered to educators.
Developing strong and collaborative partnerships with post-secondary institutions is an important aspect of a successful GYO model. When school and district leaders clearly communicate the core competencies and skills they are looking for in their teachers, post-secondary institutions can make sure these areas are covered both in the coursework and the coaching and feedback these aspiring teachers receive. Alignment and dialog among districts and post-secondary institutions is key.
By launching or expanding local apprenticeship programs, schools and districts can also help paraprofessionals and community members earn STEM teaching credentials. This contributes to a more diverse, community-rooted workforce and reduces reliance on out-of-area hires.
3. Embrace hands-on technology
Passionate STEM teachers are often drawn to schools where they can engage students with real-world tools like 3D printers, robotics kits, coding platforms, simulations, probeware, and data analysis software.
Access to modern, hands-on technology can drive student engagement, while helping teachers feel confident, current, and creatively fulfilled. As such, equipping STEM classrooms with tools that support inquiry-based, student-centered learning is important. Equally important is providing teachers with training on these technologies and allotting them planning time to incorporate these tools into their lessons.
4. Support NGSS-aligned instruction and real-world learning
From learning about local weather patterns and nearby waterways to understanding how food impacts the human body, authentic STEM learning involves engaging students with real-world phenomena.
However, making the instructional shift to teach the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) can be hard. It requires strong instructional leadership–school and district leaders need to truly understand what three-dimensional, NGSS-aligned instruction looks like in action so they can support teachers with the implementation of it in a way that’s meaningful, not just evaluative.
School and district leaders can further support teachers with the shift to NGSS-aligned instruction by offering time to successfully implement new lessons, encouraging innovation and getting outside of their comfort zone, setting realistic goals together, and celebrating shared progress.
5. Cultivate a culture of belonging, mentorship, and purpose
STEM teachers, especially those early in their careers, can feel isolated or burned out if the right supports are not in place. This is why providing robust professional learning aligned to teachers’ interests and goals is so important, particularly when it comes to helping teachers build their professional identity early on in their careers.
Creating STEM-focused professional learning communities (PLCs), having teachers share the best practices they learn at conferences, encouraging participation in industry or regional associations, suggesting virtual networks to join, matching new teachers with subject-specific mentors, and giving time for cross-discipline collaboration with fellow teachers to take place can all help create community and a culture of belonging, which is a gamechanger for teacher retention.
This culture is especially important for recruiting and retaining STEM teachers from diverse backgrounds. Today, more than 50 percent of students enrolled in public schools are students of color—however, 80 percent of teachers are white. Setting educators up to stay and grow in the profession helps ensure students have access to teachers who reflect their identities.
The power of effective STEM teachers
Recruiting and retaining STEM teachers isn’t just about filling vacancies–it’s about giving every student a steady opportunity to be seen, challenged, and inspired by educators who believe in their potential, whether or not they choose a career in science.
When students have access to consistent, purpose-driven teachers–especially those who bring a variety of life experiences to the classroom–they not only perform better academically, they begin to see themselves as future scientists, engineers, and change makers. In fact, when students have effective teachers for even three years in a row, their performance can jump as much as 50 percent. That’s the power of teacher stability and support.
At a time when schools face growing complexity and competing demands, it is essential to focus on what matters: building classrooms where all students feel connected, curious, and capable. That starts with supporting the people who guide them every day.
Let’s make sure those teachers have every reason to stay–and every opportunity to thrive.