Who We Are
Math for America
Los Angeles
Our fellowships support experienced math and computer science teachers in public schools across the greater Los Angeles area, giving them the time, financial support, professional community, and leadership recognition they need to stay in the classroom and lead within their schools.
We were built by teachers, for teachers, and that foundation shapes everything we do.
MƒA LA was founded in 2008 through a partnership between University of Southern California, Claremont Graduate University, and Harvey Mudd College, with a clear conviction: Los Angeles had exceptional math and computer science teachers who, given the right support, could transform their classrooms, departments, and schools.
Co-founded by Pam Mason, whose dedicated work built the core of our community and shaped the values that still guide us, MƒA LA grew into one of the most rigorous and respected teacher fellowship programs in the country. Over nearly 20 years, we have supported hundreds of Fellows across more than 130 schools in the Los Angeles region, accumulating a body of research and a track record of impact that is rare in education.
Today, under the leadership of co-founder and Executive Director Darryl Yong, MƒA LA is entering its next chapter in deepening its program, expanding its reach, and building the research infrastructure to share what we learn with the broader public.
Our Story
MƒA LA is grounded in a set of beliefs about teaching, learning, and what it takes to support great educators over the long term.
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Teaching is a profession that deserves respect, trust, and sustained investment.
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Great teachers are always learning and refining both their content knowledge and their craft.
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Teachers thrive in intellectually rich communities of practice, not in isolation.
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Elevating excellent teachers raises the prestige of the whole profession and improves outcomes for students.
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The working conditions for teachers are the learning conditions for students.
What We Believe
How We Work
Access to the highest mark of teaching excellence in the profession.
Our multi-year fellowships bring together credentialed, effective math and computer science teachers in school-based teams, providing them with meaningful annual stipends, best-in-class professional development, coaching, and support for National Board Certification.
Because Fellows apply as school-based teams rather than as individuals, their growth ripples outward, and expertise spreads across departments. Collaboration becomes part of the school culture, and students benefit from stronger, more consistent instruction year after year.
We do not recruit teachers away from the classroom to do policy work or administration. We invest in them so that the classroom becomes a place they want to stay, and a place where they can lead.
Da Vinci Communications
Fellows designed a CTE-aligned CS pathway and secured industry partnerships with Northrop Grumman and Snapchat, connecting high school math and computer science to the modern workforce.
Luther Burbank Middle School
Fellows restructured the department's intervention model and were selected by the district to write an 8th-grade intervention curriculum now used to train 40 teachers across the district.
Hawkins High School
Fellows built a four-course Computer Science pathway from scratch, grew AP Calculus enrollment from fewer than 20 students to 75, and raised school-wide SBAC math scores in a single year.
Our Impact on Fellows and Students Across Los Angeles
Empowering Teachers
Who Lead
MƒA LA Fellows do not only stay in the classroom, but they also lead within it. Because the fellowship builds instructional expertise and professional confidence over multiple years, Fellows become teachers that other teachers look to, the department chairs districts rely on, and the curriculum designers whose work reaches far beyond their own students.
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Nearly all MƒA LA Fellows have achieved or are actively pursuing National Board Certification, compared to 3% of teachers nationwide and 6% in Los Angeles.
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89% of principals report that MƒA LA teachers have had a positive impact on students and say they would consider hiring an additional MƒA LA teacher in the future.
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83% of principals report that MƒA LA teachers have had a positive impact on department-wide curriculum.
68%
Of Fellows' Report, They Stayed in the Classroom Because of MƒA
"Before I joined MƒA LA, I felt I was ready to retire. Joining MƒA LA rebooted my energy and love for the craft of teaching."
MƒA LA Teacher Fellow
64%
Of Fellows Stay with MƒA Even After Completing
Active Fellowship
Teachers Who Stay
MƒA LA has been measuring what happens when teachers are genuinely supported for more than 15 years. The evidence is consistent: when accomplished teachers have the time, financial support, and professional community to thrive, they stay in the classroom, grow as leaders, and deliver stronger outcomes for their students.
The data is unmatched.
MƒA LA has been measuring what happens when teachers are genuinely supported for more than 15 years. The evidence is consistent: when accomplished teachers have the time, financial support, and professional community to thrive, they stay in the classroom, grow as leaders, and deliver stronger outcomes for their students.
The data is unmatched.
Teacher turnover is one of the most disruptive forces in public education, and it falls hardest on students in our most under-resourced schools. When experienced teachers leave, students lose consistency, departments lose institutional knowledge, and the pipeline to STEM careers narrows.
MƒA LA was built to change teacher retention, and the data proves it does. More than two-thirds of MƒA LA Fellows report that the MƒA LA community directly influenced their decision to stay in the education profession.
What Leadership Looks Like in Practice
What MfA is Building
MƒA LA is currently working with approximately 75 active Fellows across the Los Angeles region. Under our 2026–2032 growth plan, we aim to double our footprint, deepening our presence in existing partner schools while extending our reach to more communities across the region.
As we grow, we are also building the research infrastructure to share what we learn with the broader field, contributing to the public conversation about what it takes to support teachers, sustain excellent instruction, and build equitable STEM pathways for students in high-need communities.
Los Angeles has a proven model for teacher retention and thriving. More teachers should be able to access it.
The ultimate measure of MƒA LA's work is what happens for students. More than 15 years of rigorous program evaluation and research data show that students in MƒA LA classrooms consistently outperform their peers on state math assessments and demonstrate stronger confidence and engagement in STEM.
Students Who Achieve in the Classroom
Students in MƒA LA classrooms pass the SBAC at nearly double the rate of comparison classrooms: 44.0% versus 22.7%.
Middle school students of MƒA LA Fellows score an average of 64 points higher on the SBAC than their peers.
Year over year, students in MƒA LA classrooms show improved self-efficacy scores and increased participation in AP math and computer science courses.
In the next few years we hope to grow to 150 Fellows.
Vision
Every student in Los Angeles has access to excellent math and CS teachers who thrive professionally, lead within their schools, and elevate the culture of learning in their communities.
Mission
MƒA LA supports, develops, and sustains exceptional mathematics and computer science teachers by providing a professional community that prioritizes intellectual growth, collaboration, and teacher leadership.
Our Mission and Vision
