In a letter of 4 May 2005 by Representatives Vernon Ehlers (D-MI) and
Rush Holt (D-NJ) [both physicists] to Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Alan
Mollohan (D-WV) of the House Subcommittee on Science, State, Justice,
and Commerce wrote:
"NSF is a key supporter of Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) education. In 2004, it supported more than 200,000
students, teachers, and researchers - providing essential development
for the current and future generations of scientists, engineers, and
technical workers. This year the number will drop to 168,000, as NSF
budget reductions cut support for undergraduates and K-12 teachers
and students. Now, more than ever, we must invest in our children's
education to develop their talent, ensure their success, and maintain
the quality of our workforce and economic strength. NSF, with its
expertise in merit review awards, is uniquely positions to contribute
to math and science education. NSF education endeavors are
complementary to those of the Department of Education, as NSF
research provides the foundation for much of the applications
promoted by the Department of Education. We should continue to
strongly support the educational mission of the NSF."
A previous post "Forward from Joseph Merlino: NSF EHR '06 Funding,"
[Hake (2005) indicated recent federal concerns for the nation's
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
infrastructure that are consistent with the letter of Ehlers and Holt.
Relevant to all the above, some subscribers may may be interested in
several reports that recently appeared in the May 2005 issue of the
American Physical Society's "APS News." The first of these, titled
"APS Joins STEM Community In Call For Support of Science Education
Programs" [APS News (2005)] is included in the APPENDIX of this post.
Two subsequent posts will be titled:
(1) "Members of Congress Speak Out in Support of Science": relays a
May 2005 "APS News" report on congressional action to counter the
Bush administration's cutback of science education funding,
(2) "AIP & APS Websites Support Science Education Programs": gives
relevant URL's for (a) Congressional "Dear Colleague" Letters in
support of increased science funding and (b) contacting Congress.
REFERENCES
APS News. 2005. "APS Joins STEM Community In Call For Support of
Science Education Programs," APS News 14(5), currently online to APS
members only at <http://www.aps.org/apsnews/index.cfm>. The article
will be freely available to all at
<http://www.aps.org/apsnews/index.cfm> / "Archives," where "/" means
"click on," as soon as the June issue of APS News appears.
Hake, R.R. 2005. "Forward from Joseph Merlino: NSF EHR '06 Funding," online at
<http://lists.asu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0505&L=aera-l&T=0&F=&S=&P=382>.
Post of 8/9 May 2005 to AERA-C, AERA-D, AERA-G, AERA-H, AERA-J,
AERA-K, AERA-L, ASSESS, Biopi-L, Chemed-L, EvalTalk, Math-Learn,
Phys-L, PhysLrnR, Physhare, POD, and TIPS.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
APPENDIX
APS JOINS STEM COMMUNITY IN CALL FOR SUPPORT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAMS
The Administration's FY 2006 budget request would slash funding for
science education programs at NSF and restrict the availability of
funds for the Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program at the
Department of Education. The APS has joined with several other
scientific and educational organizations in the
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education
coalition by co-signing a letter to congressional appropriators in
support of the NSF programs.
The other signatories include the American Association of Physicists
in Medicine, the American Association of Physics Teachers, the
American Astronomical Society, the American Geophysical Union, the
American Institute of Physics, and the Optical Society of America.
Many of these organizations also signed a letter to appropriators in
support of the DOE's MSP program. And several Members of Congress
have circulated "Dear Colleague" letters on both topics, seeking
additional Members' signatures on letters that will be sent to the
relevant appropriators.
The Administration has proposed $737.0 million for NSF's EHR
Directorate, a cut of 12.4% from the FY 2005 level of $841.4 million,
which itself was 11%
lower than FY 2004 funding of $944.1 million. Many programs and
divisions-including the NSF Math and Science Partnerships;
Elementary, Secondary and Informal Education; Undergraduate
Education; and Research, Evaluation and Communication-would receive
cuts ranging from 12% to
43%. Under the budget request, several of these accounts would make
no new awards in FY 2006.
The Coalition's letter on NSF science education programs was sent to
key members of the House Science, State, Justice and Commerce
Appropriations Subcommittee and of the Senate Commerce, Justice, and
Science Appropriations
Subcommittee. It calls on Members of Congress to "increase spending
for [NSF] to a level that would permit $200 million in funding for
the NSF Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program, and restoration
of funding for the NSF
Education and Human Resources Directorate to FY2004 levels."
The letter also expressed support for other key programs in the EHR
directorate, such as Instructional Materials Development, the Teacher
Professional Continuum, and the Centers for Learning and Teaching.
"These programs are unique in their capacity to move promising ideas
from research to practice, to develop new and improved materials and
assessments, to explore new uses of technology to enhance K-12
instruction, and
to create better teacher training techniques," it said.
While recommending a 51.0% increase (to $269.0 million) for the
Education Department's MSP program in FY 2006, the Administration
also proposes to fence off $120.0 million of that funding for a new
grant program for secondary math that would redirect funding away
from the state-based MSP
program. The Administration proposed this same set-aside last year,
but Congress did not approve it. The Coalition sent another letter to
key Labor-HHS-Education appropriators in both chambers. This letter
supports the requested funding level but opposes the $120.0 million
set-aside.
The full text of the letters can be found at
<http://www.aip.org/gov/>. . . . . . [More precisely at:
(b) <http://www.aip.org/gov/polstates.html> / "AIP Policy Statements"
/ STEM Education Coalition letter on FY06 funding for Education
Department Math and Science Partnerships"