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Background
Strong math reasoning skills help prepare students for careers in fields such as medicine, finance, engineering, and computer science—fields that are essential to U.S. economic strength.
However, student performance remains low: Only 39% of fourth graders, 28% of eighth graders, and 22% of twelfth graders reach proficiency on national math assessments.1,2
Teachers who are well qualified in both math content and effective teaching methods can help improve achievement. However, despite this need, 40 states report ongoing shortages of math teachers and difficulties in recruiting qualified math teachers, especially in rural areas and communities with lower household incomes.3,4 One reason that states are facing these challenges is that people with math degrees often earn at least 25% more in salary when they choose careers outside of teaching.5
Many elementary teachers report math anxiety due to lack of preparation, resulting in negative effects on student learning.6,7 Over time, this can reduce students’ chances of taking advanced math courses or developing confidence in the subject, which may limit their interest in math-related careers. Rural schools often have fewer advanced math courses available, which can discourage students from pursuing math careers and reduce the number of future math teachers in those communities. As a result, rural schools are more likely to rely on teachers who lack proper certification or licensure to teach math.
Recommendations
The following actions can help states and districts address the educator shortage.
Consider differentiated or other pay incentives to attract candidates with mathematics degrees and expertise into the teaching profession.
Focus on professional development and support aimed at building both mathematical content knowledge and content-specific pedagogical knowledge in teachers.
Ensure that teacher preparation programs are prioritizing adequate pre-service instruction in mathematics and mathematics pedagogy.
Ensure that working conditions are positive, so that individuals with math backgrounds are attracted to the profession.
Consider developing alternative licensure pathways that offer clinically rich preparation for math teachers.
Resources
Report
Teacher Prep Review: Solving for Math Success 
This report from the National Council on Teacher Quality looks at the quality of math teacher preparation programs.
Research
A Systematic Review of the Recent Empirical Literature on Math and Science Teacher Recruitment and Retention 
This literature review by Janet Solis Rodriguez synthesizes findings from empirical studies focused on the recruitment and retention of math and science teachers.
Research
American Mathematics Educator Survey
This research report from RAND compiles survey data from math educators and principals.
Research
The State of Recruitment and Retention of Middle and Secondary Mathematics Teachers in the United States: Analysis and Tangible Actions
This white paper for the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences describes who is teaching math, the math teacher shortage, math teacher entry and certification, retention, and promising practices in recruiting and retaining math teachers.
References
1 NAEP Mathematics: Performance by Student Group, Grade 8 (National Center for Education Statistics)
2 NAEP Mathematics Grade 12: National Trends and Student Skills (The Nation’s Report Card)
3 An Overview of Teacher Shortages: 2025 (Learning Policy Institute)
4 Math Education in the U.S.: Math Matters Study: The Value of Math in Work and Life (Gallup, Inc.)
5 It’s Time to Change the Math Calculus: How the U.S. Can Finally Get Math Education Right (Linda Darling-Hammond & Julie Fitz)
6 Highlights from the 2018 NSSME+ (Horizon Research, Inc.)
7 Elementary school teachers’ math anxiety and students’ math learning: A large-scale replication (Marjorie W. Schaeffer et al.)
