Tomorrow's Outstanding Physics Teachers at the University of Missouri

The University of Missouri's TOP Teacher Program aims to recruit and prepare Tomorrow's Outstanding Physics Teachers. With support from the Physics Teacher Education Coalition, we have implemented multiple new recruiting tactics and made improvements to coursework and networking opportunities for pre-service physics teachers. Our most successful strategy has been a unique new high school based ``Learning Assistant'' program. Selected physics, physics education, and engineering majors help out in local high school physics classrooms, working with the same class $\sim$ 5 hours per week. At the end of the first year of the program, at least 67{\%} of LA's reported being ``interested'' or ``very interested'' in high school teaching. This result is coupled by a dramatic (\textgreater 1000{\%}) increase in the number of students pursuing a BS in physics education.