Math, Science Graduates Sign On to Teach

Recruitment efforts by Teach For America yield sought-after credentials.

Teach For America has again posted a record number of recent college graduates applying for its two-year teaching stints, with the added coup that nearly 20 percent came with coveted mathematics, science, or engineering majors.

The New York City-based group drew 19,000 applicants for the 2,400 teaching positions it has promised to fill in disadvantaged urban and rural districts across the nation, an increase in candidates of slightly more than 9 percent over last year.

Almost one in five applicants had a math, science, or engineering degree, reflecting a 2-year-old push on the part of the group to better meet the demand for...