With Silicon Valley's public image being hit hard over the controversy surrounding the tech world's incursion into the Bay Area and rising rental costs, teachers are getting a boost from one of the tech world's largest community foundations.
The Silicon Valley Community Foundation announced this week that it was awarding more than $700,000 to schools in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties to help promote technology and mathematics.
"Ten school districts and nonprofit organizations will receive a total of $768,407 to provide professional development to nearly 400 middle school mathematics teachers in the two-county region," the Foundation said in a press statement announcing the move.
The statement continued to point to the lessening of students' abilities in math and science as a precursor for the foundation's award, arguing that in order to meet new standards and for American youth to compete on the global stage, the funds will aim "to build students' critical thinking and communication skills, spark their curiosity and make learning relevant in the real world."
It comes as American students continue to rank below the global average in math, based on The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which reports global results every three years.
"In mathematics, 29 nations and other jurisdictions outperformed the United States by a statistically significant margin, up from 23 three years ago," Education Week reported.
The Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) believes that by implementing new strategies and core standards, students in the Bay Area can move forward and increase their abilities in key math areas. Teachers can lead the way.
"Teacher effectiveness is the number one determinant of student success," said Senior Program Officer for Education Grantmaking at SVCF. "Over the past several years, we have invested in teacher professional development and in systems that support continuous improvement, and we know this is helping our region's children be more successful academically."
A full list of grantees is available via SVCF's website.
