Last year, 50 percent of California’s math teachers came out of alternative certification programs. |
Steve Grant
- Manteca High School, Manteca
- Mathematics - Algebra, Geometry
- Enjoyed work as a dispatcher, shuttle driver, operations manager, chauffeur and substitute teacher
His Story
Steve Grant may not have taken the most direct route to teaching, but thankfully he has arrived. After earning a bachelor’s degree and testing out several different career paths, Steve began substitute teaching because it gave him the flexibility to pursue his interest in the fire service. The principal, seeing that Steve had a gift working with students, encouraged him to consider teaching as a career. Teaching during the day, attending classes two nights a week and enduring rigorous math classes and tests, Steve earned his credential.
Working at a summer camp every year since age 15, Steve has an uncanny ability to get through to kids and it shows. When he walked into a Rite Aid recently he saw a former struggling Algebra B student who was now working as a pharmacy technician. She introduced Steve to her colleagues and credited his class and style in helping her finally find success in math. It’s just one of countless Steve Grant stories where he has helped students find their aha moment and ultimately find their way.