The growth of UTeach comes from systematic recruiting among freshmen, the collaborative spirit between the Colleges of Natural Sciences and Education, attention to advising, financial support, and the community of students themselves. UTeach is not without detractors. Some of the objections to the idea of the program occur so frequently that they are worth answering. Teacher preparation is the business of the teacher colleges, not a research university like UT Austin. We think this argument is as wrong today as it was when the University was founded.
Research universities have a unique role in establishing priorities.
The shortage of teachers will not diminish unless the profession of teaching gains the respect that its importance deserves. Seeing that some of the brightest and most ambitious students in Texas are deciding to become teachers will play a role in increasing public support for teachers. Public support is especially needed in Texas because teacher salaries are terribly low. Unless Texas soon finds a way to pay talented individuals comparable salaries to teach science and mathematics, Texas children will be at a terrible disadvantage in a workplace that increasingly demands advanced technical skills. New teachers don't last.