The Math Teachers’ Circle Network
Planning Resources (private)
Index
Recruitment
Logistics
Publicity
Funding and Proposal Writing
Evaluation Forms
Planning Worksheets
Recruitment
Flyers, brochures, letters, etc.
- Workshop flyers and brochures
- Meeting recruitment materials
- BATMath Pi Day meeting flyer (PDF, Apple Pages)
- Rocky Mountain MTC academic year 2018-19 flyer
- Triangle MTC Fall 2016 meeting flyer
- Santa Cruz MTC 2010-11 meeting flyer
Logistics
Day-to-day logistics
- Methods of contacting MTC participants, compiled by Katie Hendrickson based on a discussion on the Teachers’ Net Google Group
Application and registration forms
- Nevada MTC 2018 workshop application
- Tulsa MTC 2017 workshop flyer and application form
- Smoky Mountain MTC 2018 workshop application
- Columbus MTC 2018 workshop registration (Eventbrite)
Sample schedules
Please also see our national MTC meetings calendar.
- Workshops
- Academic-year meetings (selected sites with links to handouts)
Websites of active MTCs
View the current list on our Member Circles page.
Publicity
Logos
- Math Teachers’ Circle Network: vector file, JPG
- American Institute of Mathematics logo
- Math Teachers’ Circle/Prime Number business cards (front, back)
- Southeast Ohio MTC business card
T-shirts
- T-shirt front: green logo
- T-shirt back: Puzzle
Press release forms
- Math Teachers’ Circle at the Center of Pennsylvania 2017 press release
- Press release preparation form
- Generic press release about starting a new MTC and participation in a “How to Run a Math Teachers’ Circle” workshop
- Generic press release about obtaining funding for your MTC
MTC in the news
Please also see our Press Room.
- 100Kin10 Stories from the Field: An Interview with AIM MTC Member Heather Danforth-Clayson (2017)
- 100Kin10 White Paper: Teachers’ Voices are Regularly Absent from Conversations about their Professional Growth (2017)
- KQED News: How Playing With Math Helps Teachers Better Empathize With Students (2017)
- Athens Messenger: Local math teachers circle factors in the fun (2016)
- Notices of the AMS: Math Teachers’ Circles – Partnerships between Mathematicians and Teachers (2014)
Funding and Proposal Writing
MTC-Specific Advice
Other Advice
- Seeking corporate donations (from Manuel Valerio of Fry’s Electronics)
- Identifying funders and proposal development (from Paul McNamara of San Jose State University)
- Paul McNamara’s advice on proposal writing
- Proposal-writing checklist by Herbert B. Chermside (via Paul McNamara)
- Tutorial from the Foundation Center
- MAA grantwriting guide
Resources
- Foundation Center
Best overall for locating private sector grantmakers; also has great general resources on seeking funding- Find a library near you with funding information: Cooperating Collections
- Foundation Directory Online (subscription required)
- Community Foundation Locator
Through the Council on Foundations; this is the easiest way to find community foundations in your area. - Fiscal Sponsor Directory
Fiscal sponsorship is a way of avoiding forming an independent 501(c)(3); this might help if you find you need 501(c)(3) status but don’t have an obvious organizational affiliation to draw upon. We strongly recommend trying to go through your university or school district first. - Federal grant opportunities
- State Departments of Education
Make sure to look for your state’s Improving Teacher Quality (ITQ) and Math and Science Partnership (MSP) grant programs, funded through formula grants from the U.S. Department of Education.
Background information on Math Teachers’ Circle
- Research on MTC outcomes
- MTC outcomes for a non-technical audience
- Literature review providing a rationale for MTCs
- Literature review providing a rationale for MTCs, emphasizing the Common Core
- Mission and goals of the MTC program
Sample introductory materials, mission statements, and letters of inquiry
- BATMath 2018 letter of inquiry (Haas Foundation)
- BATMath 2017 funding opportunities brochure
- AIM MTC letter of inquiry and budget (Koret Foundation)
- AIM MTC introductory materials (Silicon Valley Community Foundation)
- Brazos MTC Valley letter of inquiry
- North Louisiana MTC letter of inquiry and budget
- Philadelphia Area MTC mission and vision statements
- SouthEast Ohio MTC mission statement
- Twin Cities Teachers’ Circle letter of inquiry
- Virgin Islands MTC elevator speech
Sample foundation proposals (from AIM unless otherwise noted)
These are intended to serve as general models rather than as templates for proposals to these organizations.
- Educational Advancement Foundation: MTC of Austin
- Palo Alto Community Fund
- Rockwell Collins
- Tellabs Foundation cover letter, full proposal, and budget
Sample proposals to state agencies
- Math Teachers’ Circle of Hawai’i Teacher Quality Improvement proposal
- Montana statewide network of MTCs
- North Dakota State Math-Science Partnership Program: ND MTC
- Southeast Ohio MTC proposal to the Ohio Board of Regents
Other sample proposals
- NSF Individual Investigator grant broader impacts section (from Michelle Manes, Math Teachers’ Circle of Hawai’i)
Evaluation Materials
Essentials
- Data every MTC should keep track of
- Sign-in sheet (.doc) (.pdf)
- Pre-participation survey: (.docx) (.pdf)
- Standard post-workshop survey (.doc) (.pdf)
- End-of-year survey
Question banks
- Sample pre-participation questions, compiled from surveys
- Sample post-participation questions, compiled from surveys
Sample evaluation forms
- Generic forms
- Samples from MTCs
- Central Iowa MTC summer workshop (2009): Post-workshop survey
- AIM MTC immersion workshop (2009): Pre-workshop survey
- AIM MTC immersion workshop (2009): Post-workshop survey
- AIM MTC immersion workshop (2009): One-year followup survey
Evaluation data
- AIM MTC teacher immersion workshops