Massachusetts is hoping to draw the best and the brightest to teach in its public schools. An information session next Wednesday is expected to draw large numbers of seniors interested in a new program which offers them the chance to work in the Massachusetts public schools without certification and a $20,000 signing bonus.

State Senate President Thomas F. Birmingham '72, who sponsored the program, will attend the information session, which was moved from OCS to Science Center in anticipation of a large audience.

"I expect people to be interested," said Dena O. Rakoff, assistant director of career services.

The signing bonus program will offer as many as 50 graduating seniors intensive training and a $20,000 bonus for teaching in state public schools.

Rakoff said the program is valuable because it makes public school teaching a viable option for Harvard students still unsure of their career plans.

"I don't think it's the signing bonus that's exciting to Harvard students so much as the opportunity to work in the Massachusetts public schools without a teacher's certification," Rakoff said. Students can teach at private schools without certification.

"They're looking for outstanding individuals, who are really competent in their fields, people who might not have thought about teaching," she added.

The Mass. Department of Education is promoting the program nationwide, with information sessions at out-of-state universities like Stanford, Princeton and Emory in addition to local colleges.