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Tom Luce, CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative, told the House Education and Labor Committee Tuesday (July 22), “We’re here to say that if the federal government will increase its investment in math and science, the private sector is ready to match you.”
Mr. Luce, a former Assistant Secretary of Education, warned the committee, “This truly is a ‘Paul Revere Moment’ for our country – we must spread the alarm that our country is falling behind in math and science achievement and we must shore up our system. Just this week two universities in China moved ahead of American universities in graduating students who earn PhDs in the United States, moving past Berkeley.”
The answer to the growing math and science crisis is not to create more pilot programs, Mr. Luce told the committee. “We have already lighted a million pilot programs in this country, but we have not ignited the central heating system,” he said.
He pointed out to the committee that Advanced Placement Training and Incentive programs have proved highly successful in increasing the number of students taking rigorous math and science classes and are being implemented in six states by NMSI. He said the UTeach program is drawing more math and science majors into teaching and is being replicated at 13 universities.
The answer, he said, is a “simple but proven concept – we must take programs like these to a national scale and get the job done.”
In a time of scarce resources, he empathized, Congress could leverage its support of such programs, because the private sector “is prepared to step up and match that support.”
Mr. Luce joined a panel of experts from the private sector at the hearing called by U.S. Rep. George Miller, the Education and Labor Committee Chairman, on “Innovation in Education through Business and Stem Partnerships.” The other panelists included:
· Former NASA Astronaut Sally Ride, President of Sally Ride Science
· Phil Mickelson, Professional Golfer and Co-Founder, Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teachers Academy
· Ramona Chang, Director of Curriculum for the Torrance Unified School District in Torrance, California
· Melendy Lovett, Texas Instruments Senior Vice President and President of Education Technology
· Dr. Carlo Parravano, Merck Institute for Science Education
· Patty Sullivan, IBM Education Solutions Executive
· Brian Wells, Chief Systems Engineer, Raytheon.
The consensus of the panel was that improving the teaching and learning of math and science in U.S. schools is vital to maintaining America’s global leadership. Mr. Mickelson pointed out that during the last three years, only 15 percent of the college graduates in the U.S. were focused on math and science, compared to 67 percent in Singapore and 50 percent in China.
He explained how he uses math and science every day to maximize his practice efforts and improve his performance, explaining “the dimples on the ball are like the wings on an airplane. Science helps you understand the aerodynamics of the ball.” He said the academy he and his wife Amy launched helps teachers find creative ways to teach math and science with “Hands-on demonstrations and exercises.”
Dr. Chang, who is one of 600 teachers selected from across the country for the Mickelson teaching academy, said, “If our students are to become our future engineers, computer scientists, mathematicians, and environmentalists, we need to change the way we approach the teaching of math and science. Academy teachers have been taught how to plan creatively, teach constructively, and reflect objectively. These skills rank in the proverbial ‘priceless’ category for educators.”
Ms. Lovett also championed improved training for teachers in order to make math and science classes as “popular as recess.” And she underscored that other countries are putting math and science at the top of their priorities to “fuel their economies.” In 2007, she pointed out, one half of the advanced degrees and 70 percent of the electrical engineering degrees in the U.S. were awarded to foreign nationals.
“Semiconductor manufacturing has migrated from the era of placing a high value on
manual dexterity on the assembly line to one of mental dexterity on the clean room floor,” she said. “Today, a TI manufacturing specialist must have a basic knowledge of math and science skills, such as performing addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, calculating fractions, decimals, and percents without the use of a calculator. Our technicians must have an associates’ degree in semiconductor manufacturing technology and pass a comprehensive test that covers basic electronics, applied physics and basic chemistry. They must be able to apply mathematical formulas, perform basic algebraic functions, and in some jobs apply algebra, geometry or trigonometry functions.”
She said finding individuals with the right skills set, particularly at the engineering level is a growing challenge. “This will soon be exacerbated as the baby boomer generation retires. This one demographic change is expected to reduce the U.S. science and engineering workforce by half. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment in science and engineering (S&E) occupations will grow 70 percent faster than the overall growth for all occupations. Mathematical literacy is critical for a range of occupations in today’s economy.”
Rep. Miller, D-Ca., who presided over the hearing, agreed that “America won’t be able to maintain our great legacy of innovation and discovery, let alone compete in today’s global economy, unless we make investing in math and science education a top priority.” He noted that “Last year, Congress took a critical first step by enacting legislation to provide workers with the training and skills needed to compete in 21st century jobs. Now we must build on that down payment by working with business leaders and key stakeholders to help arm students with an excellent foundation in math, science, and other cutting-edge fields.”
The witnesses responded by urging the lawmakers to fully fund the America COMPETES Act, which was passed by a wide bi-partisan margin last year. Ms. Sullivan stated that passing America COMPETES demonstrated a “partial commitment,” but that the authorized programs were not funded. “This is a critical issue that must be addressed as soon as possible. We strongly encourage Congress to fulfill the promise of the COMPETES Act by appropriating the funding necessary to support both education and research. We need tangible results.”
More information on the hearings can be found at: http://edlabor.house.gov/committee/hearings.shtml
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