Evidence continues to accumulate that mathematics education in the United States is facing a serious peril caused by the increasing shortage of qualified teachers. Dunathan (1979) surveyed school superintendents in nine midwestern states about this topic. Approximately 70 percent of those administrators who responded thought a shortage of qualified mathematics teacher applicants existed. Less than 5 percent indicated that they believed there was a surplus. A 1977 survey conducted by the federal government discovered that approximately one-fourth of the nation's school districts had at least one opening in some field for which no qualified applicant could be found (Jacobson, 1979). Data from other sources suggest that many of those unstaffed positions were in mathematics classrooms. Reporting figures prepared by the National Center for Education Statistics, Dessart (1979b) states “… 1100 mathematics teacher positions were unfilled in the secondary schools of the United States during the fall of 1977.” The November 26 issue of Education USA (“Teacher Shortage,” 1979) quotes the Houston, Texas, superintendent of schools as estimating “… that more than 5,000 of the school district's students have 'no certified mathematics or science teacher at a time when we are emphasizing those subjects.' “That same article reports that Dallas had 150 current vacancies, most of which were in mathematics, science, industrial arts, and special education at the secondary level.
A Taxonomy of Secondary School Athletic Team Names and Mascots in the United States
