Welcome!
From David
Gold, Faculty Director
It is an honor to serve as the Faculty Director of the CalTeach/Mathematics and Science Teaching (MAST) Program at UC Davis. I am a Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, which is where CalTeach/MAST has been housed since its inception at UC Davis. I am proud to sustain this partnership, and want to thank the previous Director, Dr. Sandy Carlson, for her monumental work building the program into the success it is today. I am also indebted to the staff and teachers who make CalTeach/MAST run, and I look forward to getting to know each of you better in the coming years.
The CalTeach program is a UC-wide initiative to address the growing need for people from STEM backgrounds (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in K-12 education. Since the founding of CalTeach in 2005, the need for STEM teachers has only compounded. The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe negative consequences on children’s learning, and news stories about the dire need for STEM teachers in California’s schools are commonplace. My predecessor, Dr. Carlson, wrote in her letter that the “need for qualified and enthusiastic STEM teachers in California has never been greater”; it is unfortunate that this statement holds true today. Yet I have hope that this current generation of college students will be the ones to fix this chronic problem.
As the next Director of CalTeach/MAST, I will work to increase visibility of the program, and develop new resources to help those who want to pursue teaching credentials. UC Davis has one of the largest CalTeach programs in the UC system, yet only a fraction of our participants obtain teaching credentials. My goal is to understand what bottlenecks keep students from the teaching track and develop solutions to help those who want to pursue K-12 careers. But even for those who are unsure about K-12 teaching, there are many resources for you at CalTeach/MAST. We offer coursework and internships that will aid you in your exploration of STEM education careers. Our recourses will help you build valuable skills in teaching and communication that will serve you well regardless of your future path. I invite you to explore this website and see what CalTeach/MAST has to offer you!