IBM to Encourage Employees to Be Teachers

ARMONK, N.Y. - IBM Corp. said Friday it will pay some employees to become math and science teachers, an unusual corporate venture into a second-career pipeline that U.S. schools badly need.

The program, which IBM calls the first of its kind by a major technology company, would cover up to $15,000 in tuition and certification costs and offer stipends of up to $125 per week for employees who student-teach while still on the payroll.

IBM says 10 pilot participants will start next year, with the company hoping to grow the program to 100 employees annually — particularly older workers nearing retirement who want a meaningful second act.

"We have a work force full of people who understand math and science deeply and who could transfer that knowledge to a classroom," an IBM vice president said. "The shortage of qualified teachers is a national problem, and this is a way a company can help."

The shortage is real: education groups estimate the nation needs roughly 200,000 new math and science teachers over the next decade, as retirements thin the ranks and industry salaries lure away the graduates most qualified to fill them.

IBM says it will work with colleges and school districts near its major sites — including New York, North Carolina and California — to place participants, and will let employees keep full salary for up to four months while they student-teach.

The company cautioned that the program is no substitute for raising teacher pay but argued that mid-career professionals bring something schools cannot easily train: real experience in the fields they teach.

Teacher groups gave the plan a qualified welcome. "We will take help wherever it comes from," said a spokesman for one state education association, "so long as these folks still learn how to teach — not just what to teach."