Obama unveils $250 million math, science program

[babylonsister]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/06/obama-unveils-250-million-math-science-program/

Obama unveils $250 million math, science program
Posted: January 6th, 2010 02:13 PM ET


Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama announced Wednesday a $250 million public-private initiative designed to improve national math and science education.

Specifically, the money will be used to promote five new partnerships intended to help train over 10,000 new math and science teachers over the next five years. It will also be used to support the professional development of more than 100,000 current math, science, technology and engineering teachers, according to the White House.

The new funding builds on Obama's math and science "Educate to Innovate Campaign," which was announced last November. Several large companies, including Intel, Xerox, Kodak and Time Warner Cable have already pledged $260 million to the effort.

American students, Obama noted, currently rank 21st in science and 25th in math compared with students around the world, putting the United States at a disadvantage on vital issues such as medicine, energy and security.

The administration, Obama said Wednesday, is committed to moving the United States "from the middle to the top of the pack."

The president handed out awards to over 100 math and science teachers after making the announcement.

Last year, Obama unveiled a $4.35 billion "Race to the Top" fund to offer competitive grants to states pursuing creative strategies for recruiting, training and retaining teachers.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. But what about funding numerology and mysticism programs?

So much for change, Mr. Obama.

[babylonsister]

2. I was just waiting for someone to complain; you know they will.

:D

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. Oh, they've already complained in LBN.

1. Math and science teachers got laid off last year, thanks to the Obama economy. Ergo, this is also bad.

2. Math and science students will grow up to work for CORPORATIONS! Ergo, this is bad.

3. There are other things besides math and science that are important. Ergo, this is bad.

[babylonsister]

12. Oy. Why am I not surprised? nt

[AllyCat]

63. My concern is that the "public-private" bit of it is worrisome

I am opposed to almost all corporatization of education and after what has happened to health care, I smell a rat.

I'm all for advancing math and science, but I would like more details on the Private aspect of this plan.

[Cha]

3. Awesome incentives!

I want to post this in the BOG.. I can't do links there but we have a thread for the Obama admin's accomplishments, so far, and this would fit in, nicely!:)

[Starbucks Anarchist]

4. Boo, education!

:P

[Jamastiene]

21. I have the hall pass.

I'm gonna :spank: you. :P

[Starbucks Anarchist]

22. I don't see the punishment here.

:P

[izquierdista]

5. A short math lesson

The middle of a pack of 25 is 12, not 21.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. A short reading lesson

Get one.

[frazzled]

10. A short reading lesson

Nowhere does it say that the US is 21st out of 25.

A short google informs you that:

The average combined science literacy scale score for U.S. students was lower than the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an intergovernmental agency of 30 member countries and the sponsor of the report) average, according to the latest PISA results.

U.S. students fell to 25th place in math and 21st place in science.

The United States was joined by Spain and Italy among the 32 countries that were classified as below OECD average.

ttp://blogs.eweek.com/careers/content001/education/us_students_rank_lower_than_ever_in_science_and_math.html


We're still "lower than average." But the math lesson is not going to help things!

[mkultra]

51. Obviously we need more Literacy money as well.

[sandnsea]

6. more details here

http://obama-mamas.com/blog/?p=892

[Orsino]

9. Let's raise a generation of children too smart to fall for right-wing talking points. n/t

[secondwind]

14. YEAH! I'm with you.

[Clio the Leo]

44. Love it! NT

[donco6]

11. We always need more math and science teachers.

We participate in the existing NAS grant for science teacher training and it's been very good.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

13. Good

[impik]

15. While everyone play in their sandbox, this president is quietly saving America's future

[bigwillq]

30. Isn't that his job?

:shrug:

[HughBeaumont]

42. Too bad the corporations are hellbent on destroying it. Well, for everyone except themselves.

And as history has proven so far, they WILL get their way.

[thunder rising]

16. A few jobs for the graduates would do more to recruit than anything. A few less H1-Bs maybe?

[girl gone mad]

17. +1

The vast majority of math and science grads that I know are now working in unrelated fields. The jobs are simply not there.

[Lucky Luciano]

36. I'd have a look at your or your technical friends' CVs if you/they care. nt

[cherokeeprogressive]

18. Way cool! Nearly 7% of the Afghanistan PER MONTH cost!

Does me proud.

[tranche]

23. Isn't there a pair of Kooche's undies you can sniff?

At least you'd have something more satisfying to do than shitting on every single thread on DU.

[cherokeeprogressive]

25. I'm sorry. If I was inaccurate in some way, please let me know.

Just keepin' it "real"...

[babylonsister]

27. Different budgets, for starters. But you know that. And that's not

excusing what's going on in Afghanistan, just keepin' it real.

[boppers]

45. Math and science teachers are stoning and beheading people while launching global attacks?

Did schools change a whole lot since I last went there?

[doc03]

19. If you want kids to learn something in school don't have

a 2 hour delay every single day in the winter and cancel school every time it snows. The kids here were off two weeks for Christmas vacation and so far have missed every day this week. We are getting 4-6 inches snow Thursday night so Friday will be cancelled. Tomorrow we will probably have a 2 hour delay and school will let out early since it is suppose to snow after noon. None of those days would have been cancelled when I went to school.

[mkultra]

52. lol, ok gramps

im sure your 15 mile walk up hill both ways really helped your education.

[Jamastiene]

20. This country could sure use more science and math proficiency.

:applause:

[bergie321]

24. Yay

Almost half a percent of what we spend annually on "defense" but it's a start.

[intheflow]

46. The irony is, "defense" is exactly what the government uses math and science for. n/t

[kickysnana]

26. They are still cutting school budgets and laying off people.

Where are these new teachers going to work?

[DevonRex]

31. .

:eyes:

[RepublicanElephant]

28. but, but, but... obama is no different than bush!!!!

:silly:

[LisaM]

29. Just out of curiosity

where do we rank worldwide in the liberal arts, languages, and history?

These are all valuable subjects, too, but all I ever hear is math and science, math and science.

Not to mention music and art.

I think we should compete in all of these things. Not everyone is cut out to be a mathematician or scientist. People need to be able to excel (and be employed) in subjects that they like, and in which they're talented and motivated.

[nemo137]

37. While I agree that we need more focus on the humanities,

getting and retaining math and science teacher is like pulling teeth, and the level of science illiteracy in this country is truly frightening. Even people who aren't cut out to be engineers or chemists or actuaries benefit from the thinking skills taught in math/sci classes, the same way the children who aren't going to be poets benefit from having at least a passing familiarity with literature.

[LisaM]

57. I took science and math, even through college (and I was an English major)

I'll tell you right off the bat, one thing that discourages people from taking those classes in college is that most of them grade on a curve. There is not room for everyone to do well. They don't seem to want to teach you, just to eliminate you. I took a beginning calculus class that was full of people from China who already knew the material, yet were allowed to participate in a beginning class to (apparently) puff their GPAs.

Also, I learned more from my logic class (which was taught from the philosophy department) that I later applied to computer skills than I did from any computer class, of which I also took a fair number. The logic skills assisted me a lot in learning to program, and, in fact, I still apply it now.

[LisaM]

58. The level of illiteracy in the humanities is frightening too

Have you seen the answers the typical high schooler is giving on history tests? People are blinding themselves to the fact that math and science are not the only areas where we are lagging. The average Canadian probably knows more about American history than the average American student.

[intheflow]

47. I absolutely agree.

A liberal arts education is essential to critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Not every problem is an equation. But all I've heard for years is "science and math," as you say. I even worked on a NSF program in the '90s that developed K-12 science curriculum. So it's been around forever. I never hear about teaching the humanities anymore. Yet they are equally valuable, especially given the global nature of business and politics today.

[politicasista]

32. Math and Science have always been

scored lower than other subject areas; there is always a need for improving those subjects before and after the test scores are released.

Nothing wrong with investing towards education. Thanks, Mr. President! :patriot:

[Fire1]

33. Training teachers is not where the problem lies. Teachers are

aleady well trained. Put the money in science labs and equipment. Tools for math as well, then PICK A DAMN STRATEGY AND STOP CHANGING IT EVERY OTHER YEAR!!

[Lucky Luciano]

34. Good. Definitely the most important subjects by far. nt

[zbdent]

35. RWers will declare that it will cost less and be more effective if

the government just gave $100,000 to each and every one of the 300+ million U.S. citizens ...

[dkf]

38. All the math whizzes work for hedged funds nowadays.

What a waste.

[BlooInBloo]

40. Indeed; and your point can be generalized.

[babylonsister]

41. Hahahaha!

dfk miserable, all systems go!!!

[dkf]

43. It's because all the incentives are to create financial derivatives to skirt laws and

Risk other peoples money to get rich.

And yes I'm not happy with the unfairness of our system. I'm in the Dylan Ratigan/Howard Dean wing of politics.

[mkultra]

53. Your in that fantasy wing of reality

life is unfair and always will be. Period.

[BadgerKid]

60. Not all.

Hello :hi:

That said, I have helped train (not my choice) a grad student who came to this country not knowing any English, who's now a CFO-type at one of the bone-crushing global bank firms. I coud have gone the same route but didn't, knowing I couldn't buy into the pursuit of money and power for their own sakes.

[BlooInBloo]

39. Thank gawd. Won't get anywhere without teachers who actually know the subject.

[midnight armadillo]

48. Throwing some pennies to the masses I see

Meanwhile, $30 billion will be spent on additional US troops in Afghanistan over the next several years.

Endless wealth for war, scraps for education. Same old, same old.

[Cherchez la Femme]

49. 250 Million, nationwide?

Sounds pretty paltry to me. Would 250 million across the board even buy enough new books for one class in the U.S.?
Maybe a state or two, but nationwide??

[mkultra]

50. This is a corporate handout as it just trains future employees

:sarcasm:

[Lorien]

54. They need to pump some money into arts programs if they want the math and science

programs to truly be successful. Study after study has shown that courses that encourage creativity and understanding of the arts (visual art in particular-but all arts are a benefit) lead to better performance in the sciences. Think Leonardo Da Vinci.

[freddie mertz]

55. I hope they will, but don't expect much. Humanities and the arts are less immediately

PROFITABLE for the kind of corporate co-sponsorship we are seeing here.

Humanities and the arts are under siege at every level in our education system.

The evidence for this is everywhere, including on internet forums like this one.

[Peacetrain]

56. Awesome... that is where the future is ...

[Blue Owl]

59. toss 'em a crumb

It sounds pretty good -- but not when you compare that number with how much we're spending to protect our country from the threat of a cave man on dialysis.

[yurbud]

62. you'd have to double and add three zeroes to get in the neighborhood of what we gave to Wall St. for

nothing except a kick in the nuts for thanks.

[Arkana]

61. I'm waiting for someone to tell me why this is bad.

[shireen]

64. excellent news!

$250mil is but a drop in the bucket, but i hope it's just the first installment for a long-term program. It's time for those big corporations to start giving back, glad to hear them providing funds for it. Ultimately, it's these business interests that will benefit from highly-educated employees. A good investment.

[Odin2005]

65. K&R