How I became an unlicensed, unqualified math teacher
By James Olsen, Ph.D.

It was 1956 and I was just out of graduate school with an M.A. in 17th century English Literature in one hand and a New York City provisional teaching license in English in the other. I was at my first teacher’s meeting with 49 other teachers in a junior high slum school in lower Manhattan. As we sat there in the library room, our principal announced, “We do not have the math teachers we need for this academic year. Who volunteers?” No volunteers stepped forward so our principal visually scanned his audience until his eyes fell on me. He looked at me and asked, “What’s your name?” I stood up. “James Olsen,” I replied. “Well, Olsen,” he answered, “you’re the new math teacher.”

I remonstrated, objected, and pointed out that math was not my area of “expertise.” “I just have a feeling about you,” he replied simply. “You’ll be good at it.” I started to renew my objections and he looked at me coldly. “Olsen, you’re on probation for the next three years and I’m the one who will sign the evaluation reports that will give you tenure. You want me to be happy with you, right?” So ended our conflict.

I didn’t know it at the time but approximately 50 percent of the teachers then teaching math nationwide were doing so “off license” (I love that jargon.) “Off license” means you haven’t the faintest idea of what you are doing. Now I know you want me to tell you that more than half of a century later all that has changed. I can’t. In fact, it’s worse because it’s more than 50 percent now. What that means to you, dear reader, is that there is a one in two chance your child’s math teacher is “off license.”

Why is this? Computers, that’s why. When people with math backgrounds look at education and computer technology as professions, they see that a career in computers will pay two to three times more salary in three years than teaching. After making another payment on their student loan, they decide against teaching. But if they are idealistic enough to become math teachers anyway, 60 percent of them will leave the profession within 5 years.

One consequence of this is that lots of kids have trouble with math. So what can parents do to help their kids? Here are three ideas. First, hire an older sibling to help the brother or sister having problems. Kids can often teach other kids very well, sometimes even better than the teacher. Two, set up a study group of kids in math after school or at your house where peers can teach peers how to prepare for a test or do the homework. Three, talk to three or four other parents whose kids have the same problem, chip in some money together and hire the classroom teacher or someone else who is qualified to teach this group after school hours.

As for me, I was good at it and I became a licensed Math and English teacher thanks to my principal so I guess were he still around, I would thank him. He had a problem and he solved it the only way he knew how. And the next time a politician tells you that we don’t solve educational problems “by throwing money at them,” think of this story.

The Olsens can be contacted with your questions and problems by calling 154-4374 or email sml 154-4374@prodigy.net.mx.