Newly accepted to Â鶹´«Ã½ÔÚÏß\u2019s teacher education program, I glanced around a lecture hall packed with hundreds of students for anyone who shared my major. Nope. No one. When the faculty asked each major to raise their hands, I noticed little clusters of friends sitting together. When the faculty asked for the STEM majors, though, only a small number of hands lifted, with wide gaps between us.<\/p>\n
I was reminded how different my previous experience had been as a former music education major. Everyone knew each other\u2019s names and worked side by side through rehearsals. There, I felt part of a community. In science education, it turns out, that\u2019s rare. Without a shared environment that draws students together, STEM majors can easily feel isolated, a sense that erodes confidence and belonging. For those pursuing STEM teaching \u2014 or science, technology, engineering and math \u2014 isolation can push them from the field, or discourage them from ever entering it, exacerbating the staffing struggle in schools across the state.<\/p>\n
New Jersey\u2019s STEM teachers shortage follows a national trend. The number of math and science teachers in the state has declined by approximately 9%, according to the\u00a0New Jersey Teacher Workforce 2025 Legislative Report<\/a>, which analyzed data from 2013-24. Teacher exits, particularly retirements and unexplained resignations, have increased in recent years, while the ratio of newly certified teachers to those leaving the profession has decreased. That means reduced student access to quality instruction in science, math and computer science.<\/p>\n