Table of Contents
Rep. Vernon Ehlers to Retire from Congress
Budget Update
NSTA Division Director Testifies Before Congress
Senate and House Pass Resolution in Support of National Engineers Week
Rep. Vernon Ehlers to Retire from Congress
Rep. Vern Ehlers of Grand Rapids, one of the most vocal champions of science and math education, announced last week he is retiring from Congress.
Rep Ehlers is one of now three “Congressional physicists.” Currently, he is a member of the Science and Technology Committee and serves as Ranking Republican of the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education. He is also a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, which very soon will be working to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind). He created and co-chairs the STEM Education Caucus, which works to improve K–12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
For years Representative Ehlers has been a tireless advocate for quality science education. He has spearheaded long-term efforts to increase funding for science and math education programs at the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation and ensure that quality programs for science education are in authorizing legislation such as the America Competes Act and No Child Left Behind. Mr. Ehlers has introduced stand alone legislation that would provide additional professional development to teachers, include science in the NCLB Adequate Yearly Progress, provide tax credits to STEM teachers, and work to create common standards in math and science and incentives for states to adopt them.
“For more than 15 years, Rep. Ehlers has been a tireless advocate for quality science education in the U. S. House of Representatives,” says Francis Eberle, NSTA Executive Director. “We owe him our sincere gratitude for his leadership and dedication to STEM education. He will be sorely missed.”
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FY2011 Budget Update
As reported in the February 1 NSTA Legislative Update, President Obama’s proposed budget for FY2011 programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act includes a major restructuring of current ESEA programs. In the budget proposal, the Administration plans to consolidate 38 K–12 programs in 11 new funding streams focusing on instructional teams; effective teaching and learning; expanding educational options; college pathways and accelerated learning; and supporting student success. The budget also permanently establishes the Race to the Top program and the Investing in Innovation program.
Learn more from the chart from the Dept. of Education (PDF) that further explains the consolidation of 38 programs into the new funding streams.
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NSTA Division Director Testifies Before Congress
On February 4 Julie Luft, NSTA Division Director for Research and Professor of Science Education at Arizona State University, testified before the House Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee on the subject of inquiry based science teacher education. Luft called on the Congressional committee, which is responsible for funding the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies, to provide more support for research in science education, including more support for long term research projects; focus on translating research into practice, and to provide consistent funding for the federal agencies involved in science education.
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Senate and House Pass Resolution in Support of National Engineers Week
A bipartisan group of Senators and Congressman Dan Lipinski have introduced a resolution supporting National Engineers Week, Feb. 14–20, 2010. The Senate resolution, introduced by Senators Ted Kaufman (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week to increase understanding of and interest in engineering careers among K–12 students across the country.
“National Engineers Week is an important reminder of the significant contributions engineers have made in our society,” said Senator Kaufman. “its engineers who will continue to address the major technological and infrastructure challenges of our time—from providing clean water to defending the Nation to developing green energy technologies needed to power the American people into the future.”
“During these tough economic times, we need to continue investing in education to prepare our students for the new green economy,” said Senator Gillibrand. “National Engineers Week will highlight the importance math, science and innovation will play for the jobs of the future.”
“Whether it is increasing the fuel efficiency of the cars we drive, designing the latest generation of ultra-fast computer chips, developing better ways to protect our troops, or improving American manufacturing, engineers play a tremendously important role in today’s world,” Congressman Lipinski said. “And in the 21st Century, their importance will only increase, as we work to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and respond to increasingly stiff competition from highly skilled workers abroad. In order to meet these challenges, we need to reach out to the youth of today and get them excited about science, technology, engineering, and math.”
Each year, National Engineers Week brings 50,000 engineer volunteers into K–12 classrooms across the country in hopes of inspiring the next generation of engineers by helping pre-college students understand opportunities available in the field, as well as provide them with role models.
For more information on National Engineers Week, visit www.eweek.org.
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