Do We Produce Enough Mathematics and Science Teachers?

For years, we've been told that we don't produce enough math and science teachers. Increasing teacher retirements and increasing student enrollments, we're told, have forced many school systems to lower standards to fill teaching openings, leading to high levels of underqualified teachers and, in turn, to lower student performance. Numerous high-profile reports have directly tied mathematics and science teacher shortages to a host of education and social problems, including the inability to meet student achievement goals, low U.S. performance compared to other nations, the minority achievement gap, poor national economic competitiveness, and even threats to national security.