| <html> | |
| <title> - THE 2004 PRESIDENTIAL AWARDEES FOR EXCELLENCE IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHING</title> | |
| <body><pre> | |
| [House Hearing, 109 Congress] | |
| [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] | |
| THE 2004 PRESIDENTIAL AWARDEES | |
| FOR EXCELLENCE IN | |
| MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHING | |
| ======================================================================= | |
| HEARING | |
| BEFORE THE | |
| COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE | |
| HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | |
| ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS | |
| FIRST SESSION | |
| __________ | |
| APRIL 14, 2005 | |
| __________ | |
| Serial No. 109-9 | |
| __________ | |
| Printed for the use of the Committee on Science | |
| Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/science | |
| ______ | |
| U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE | |
| 20-424 WASHINGTON : 2005 | |
| _____________________________________________________________________________ | |
| For Sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office | |
| Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; (202) 512�091800 | |
| Fax: (202) 512�092250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402�090001 | |
| COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE | |
| HON. SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT, New York, Chairman | |
| RALPH M. HALL, Texas BART GORDON, Tennessee | |
| LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois | |
| CURT WELDON, Pennsylvania EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas | |
| DANA ROHRABACHER, California LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California | |
| KEN CALVERT, California DARLENE HOOLEY, Oregon | |
| ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland MARK UDALL, Colorado | |
| VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan DAVID WU, Oregon | |
| GIL GUTKNECHT, Minnesota MICHAEL M. HONDA, California | |
| FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma BRAD MILLER, North Carolina | |
| JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois LINCOLN DAVIS, Tennessee | |
| WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri | |
| W. TODD AKIN, Missouri DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois | |
| TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON, Illinois SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas | |
| J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia BRAD SHERMAN, California | |
| JO BONNER, Alabama BRIAN BAIRD, Washington | |
| TOM FEENEY, Florida JIM MATHESON, Utah | |
| BOB INGLIS, South Carolina JIM COSTA, California | |
| DAVE G. REICHERT, Washington AL GREEN, Texas | |
| MICHAEL E. SODREL, Indiana CHARLIE MELANCON, Louisiana | |
| JOHN J.H. ``JOE'' SCHWARZ, Michigan VACANCY | |
| MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas | |
| VACANCY | |
| VACANCY | |
| C O N T E N T S | |
| April 14, 2005 | |
| Page | |
| Witness List..................................................... 2 | |
| Hearing Charter.................................................. 3 | |
| Opening Statements | |
| Statement by Representative Sherwood L. Boehlert, Chairman, | |
| Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives............ 7 | |
| Written Statement............................................ 8 | |
| Statement by Representative Bart Gordon, Minority Ranking Member, | |
| Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives............ 8 | |
| Written Statement............................................ 9 | |
| Prepared Statement by Representative Bob Inglis, Chairman, | |
| Subcommittee on Research, Committee on Science, U.S. House of | |
| Representatives................................................ 10 | |
| Statement by Representative Michael T. McCaul, Member, Committee | |
| on Science, U.S. House of Representatives...................... 14 | |
| Prepared Statement by Representative Jerry F. Costello, Member, | |
| Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives............ 11 | |
| Prepared Statement by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, | |
| Member, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives.... 11 | |
| Statement by Representative Darlene Hooley, Member, Committee on | |
| Science, U.S. House of Representatives......................... 14 | |
| Prepared Statement by Representative Lincoln Davis, Member, | |
| Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives............ 12 | |
| Prepared Statement by Representative Russ Carnahan, Member, | |
| Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives............ 12 | |
| Prepared Statement by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, Member, | |
| Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives............ 12 | |
| Statement by Representative Jim Matheson, Member, Committee on | |
| Science, U.S. House of Representatives......................... 13 | |
| Witnesses: | |
| Ms. Joyce W. Dodd, Bryson Middle School, Simpsonville, South | |
| Carolina | |
| Oral Statement............................................... 15 | |
| Written Statement............................................ 17 | |
| Biography.................................................... 18 | |
| Financial Disclosure......................................... 19 | |
| Ms. Cynthis L. Cliche, Homer Pittard Campus School, Murfreesboro, | |
| Tennessee | |
| Oral Statement............................................... 19 | |
| Written Statement............................................ 21 | |
| Biography.................................................... 23 | |
| Financial Disclosure......................................... 24 | |
| Ms. Cassandra Barnes, Oregon Trail Elementary School, Clackamas, | |
| Oregon | |
| Oral Statement............................................... 24 | |
| Written Statement............................................ 26 | |
| Financial Disclosure......................................... 28 | |
| Ms. Lonna Sanderson, Will Davis Elementary School, Austin, Texas | |
| Oral Statement............................................... 29 | |
| Written Statement............................................ 31 | |
| Biography.................................................... 32 | |
| Financial Disclosure......................................... 33 | |
| Ms. Pita Martinex-McDonald, Cuba Elementary School, Cuba, New | |
| Mexico | |
| Oral Statement............................................... 33 | |
| Biography.................................................... 35 | |
| Financial Disclosure......................................... 35 | |
| Discussion....................................................... 36 | |
| Appendix: Additional Material for the Record | |
| ``Finally, Water: Residents of Navajo Village Overjoyed to Have | |
| First Water Line,'' by Leslie Linthicum........................ 56 | |
| THE 2004 PRESIDENTIAL AWARDEES FOR EXCELLENCE IN MATHEMATICS AND | |
| SCIENCE TEACHING | |
| ---------- | |
| THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2005 | |
| House of Representatives, | |
| Committee on Science, | |
| Washington, DC. | |
| The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:13 a.m., in Room | |
| 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Sherwood L. | |
| Boehlert [Chairman of the Committee] presiding. | |
| <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT> | |
| hearing charter | |
| COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE | |
| U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | |
| The 2004 Presidential Awardees | |
| for Excellence in | |
| Mathematics and Science Teaching | |
| thursday, april 14, 2005 | |
| 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | |
| 2318 rayburn house office building | |
| 1. Purpose | |
| On Thursday, April 14, 2005, the House Committee on Science will | |
| hold its annual hearing to hear from teachers on how the Federal | |
| Government can help improve K-12 math and science education. Five | |
| elementary school math and science teachers will testify before the | |
| Committee. They are in town this week to receive the 2004 Presidential | |
| Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the Nation's | |
| highest commendation for K-12 math and science educators. At the | |
| conclusion of the formal hearing process, the other awardees, who will | |
| also be in attendance at the hearing, will be given the opportunity to | |
| make brief statements on the subject of K-12 math and science | |
| education. Their comments will be entered into the official hearing | |
| record. | |
| 2. Witnesses | |
| Joyce Dodd teaches sixth grade mathematics at Bryson Middle School in | |
| Simpsonville, SC. Ms. Dodd has more than 30 years of teaching | |
| experience. | |
| Cynthia Cliche (rhymes with fish) teaches first grade mathematics at | |
| Homer Pittard Campus School in Murfreesboro, TN. Ms. Cliche is also a | |
| college level Math Methods instructor for Middle Tennessee State | |
| University. Ms. Cliche has more than 20 years of teaching experience. | |
| Cassandra Barnes teaches third grade mathematics at Oregon Trail | |
| Elementary School in Clackamas, OR. Ms. Barnes has 10 years of teaching | |
| experience. | |
| Lonna Sanderson teaches third grade science at Will Davis Elementary | |
| School in Austin, TX. Ms. Sanderson is a National Board Certified | |
| Teacher with more than 30 years of teaching experience. | |
| Pita Martinez-McDonald teaches fourth grade science at Cuba Elementary | |
| School in Cuba, NM. Ms. Martinez-McDonald has more than 30 years of | |
| teaching experience. | |
| 3. Background | |
| On April 26, 1983, a blue-ribbon commission appointed by the Reagan | |
| Administration released ``A Nation at Risk,'' a report containing | |
| strong language and disturbing findings on the state of education in | |
| the U.S. In one of its more memorable lines, the report stated, ``If | |
| any unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the | |
| mediocre education performance that exists today, we might well have | |
| viewed it as an act of war.'' Included among the ``indicators of risk'' | |
| were international comparisons of student achievement, which revealed | |
| that U.S. students were never first or second on any of 19 different | |
| academic tests, and they scored in last place in seven of them. | |
| National assessments also showed a steady decline in science | |
| achievement scores of U.S. 17-year-olds. | |
| Today, U.S., educators, researchers, policy-makers and the general | |
| public use the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a | |
| congressionally-mandated project of the National Center for Education | |
| Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education (ED), to determine what | |
| students know and can do in various subject areas. While NAEP does not, | |
| and is not designed to, report on the performance of individual | |
| students, it does compare student achievement in states and other | |
| jurisdictions and track changes in the achievement of fourth-, eighth-, | |
| and twelfth-graders over time in mathematics, reading, writing, | |
| science, and other content areas. | |
| In mathematics, the 2003 NAEP results (the latest report available) | |
| found the performance of fourth and eighth graders increased steadily | |
| from 1990 to 2003, and the average scores in 2003 were higher than in | |
| all previous assessments. More encouraging, some of the lowest- | |
| performing students made the greatest improvements. The proportion of | |
| African-American and Hispanic fourth graders reaching the basic | |
| achievement level--the level of minimum competency--in mathematics rose | |
| from 36 to 54 percent and 42 to 62 percent respectively. It was also | |
| notable that these achievements occurred while higher-scoring students | |
| also made gains, although at a somewhat slower rate. | |
| This represents real progress, but many U.S. students are still not | |
| proficient in mathematics. While the 2003 NAEP showed an increase in | |
| the proportion of students reaching the proficient level, only 32 | |
| percent in grade four and 29 percent in grade eight were able to do so | |
| and even smaller proportions were able to reach the advanced levels. In | |
| addition, while the 2003 NAEP did not assess students in grade 12, the | |
| 2000 NAEP found that 35 percent of twelfth graders were below the basic | |
| achievement level in mathematics, reinforcing the concern that | |
| achievement falters as students progress from middle school to high | |
| school. | |
| In science, the 2000 NAEP (the latest report available) showed that | |
| the average scores of fourth and eighth graders were essentially | |
| unchanged from 1996 while the scores for twelfth graders declined by | |
| three points--a significant decline. Specifically, in 2000, only 29 | |
| percent of fourth graders scored proficient or better as did 32 percent | |
| of eighth graders and 18 percent of twelfth graders. Worse, scores for | |
| American Indian students in eight grade and white students in twelfth | |
| grade fell from 1996 to 2000. | |
| For a comparative perspective on education in the U.S. and in other | |
| industrialized nations, the U.S. uses the Trends in International | |
| Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), an assessment given every four | |
| years, to provide participating nations with information on their | |
| students' understanding of math and science. The 2003 TIMSS, issued in | |
| December 2004, showed that the absolute scores of U.S. fourth and | |
| eighth grade students improved. However, while the relative rank of | |
| U.S. eighth graders improved, the rank of fourth graders dropped. U.S. | |
| students performed in the middle ranks of students in mathematics (in | |
| which students from about 35 nations were tested), and somewhat higher | |
| in science (in which students from about 15 nations were tested). U.S. | |
| students did not lead in any category. | |
| The 2003 TIMSS did not assess 12th graders but another | |
| international assessment, the Program for International Student | |
| Achievement (PISA), showed American 15-year-olds performing below the | |
| international average in mathematics literacy and problem-solving. | |
| While U.S. undergraduate and graduate education remains the envy of | |
| the world, the interest of, and the participation by U.S. students in | |
| science, technology, engineering and math is declining. In fact, 25-30 | |
| percent of entering freshmen express an interest in science and | |
| engineering, but less than half complete a science or engineering | |
| degree in five years. As the number of U.S. science and engineering | |
| students declines, our dependence on foreign students grows. According | |
| to NSF's Science and Engineering Indicators (2002), the percentage of | |
| foreign-born individuals among scientists and engineers in the U.S. is | |
| growing at all degree levels, in all sectors, and in most fields. | |
| Especially high percentages are found in engineering (45 percent), | |
| computer sciences (43 percent) and mathematics (30 percent). | |
| Issues in K-12 Education | |
| Over the years, education research and successful reform | |
| initiatives have underscored the importance of having a qualified | |
| teacher. Yet, in response to impending teacher shortages, particularly | |
| in mathematics and science, many states have allowed individuals | |
| without the appropriate background to teach. In fact, the Department of | |
| Education's 2004 ``Condition of Education'' report found that 49 | |
| percent of seventh grade mathematics teachers did not have the | |
| equivalent of a minor in mathematics, and that 32 percent of middle | |
| school science teachers did not have the equivalent of a minor in any | |
| of the sciences. Not surprising, high school students in high minority | |
| and high poverty public schools fared even worse with more science and | |
| mathematics courses taught by out-of-field teachers. | |
| A related problem is the exodus of new teachers from the | |
| profession, with more than 30 percent leaving within five years. High | |
| teacher turnover creates a continual demand for new teachers, and those | |
| teachers require teacher professional education and development. Partly | |
| as a result, many schools are moving toward the regulation of teaching | |
| practice, such as the use of more scripted curriculum materials--a | |
| change that may limit some able teachers from exercising their | |
| professional knowledge and discretion, making teaching less inviting to | |
| those most qualified. | |
| To achieve the twin goals of improving education and narrowing the | |
| achievement gap, No Child Left Behind--President Bush's comprehensive | |
| K-12 education law--requires a ``highly qualified'' teacher in every | |
| classroom, it raises the qualifications of paraprofessionals (also | |
| known as teacher aides) and it requires public reporting of staff | |
| qualifications. It also provides state grants to recruit and train | |
| teachers. | |
| At its center, No Child Left Behind seeks to hold schools | |
| accountable for the progress of their students by requiring annual | |
| testing for all students in grades 3-8 in reading and math and by | |
| ensuring that all students make ``annual yearly progress'' toward | |
| proficiency in these subjects, the prime measure of success under the | |
| law. Failure to do so results in a school being identified as ``needing | |
| improvement,'' which triggers various interventions, such as choices | |
| for parents and corrective actions. In addition, states are required to | |
| have academic-content standards in place for science by the 2005-2006 | |
| school year and, beginning in 2007-2008, states will also have to test | |
| in science at least once in each of the 3-5, 6-9 and 10-12 grade spans. | |
| But science test results will not be counted as a factor in determining | |
| whether a school or district is making adequate yearly progress unless | |
| states voluntarily decide to impose that step. | |
| While many have credited the new law with the improvement in | |
| student achievement on national and international assessments, others | |
| have complained that the reliance on testing has resulted in ``teaching | |
| to the test'' and ``dumbing down the curriculum.'' In addition, while | |
| the science requirements under No Child Left Behind have placed a | |
| renewed emphasis on the subject, including the design of new tests and | |
| the reform of science courses to align them to state standards, many | |
| believe that the more immediate pressures in reading and mathematics | |
| will keep science at the margins of education. | |
| National Science Foundation (NSF) K-12 Education Programs | |
| Math and Science Partnership Program | |
| No Child Left Behind also called for the creation of a new Math and | |
| Science Partnership Program at NSF to bring together higher education, | |
| school systems and businesses. Ultimately, Congress created two | |
| complementary programs: one at NSF and one at ED. The NSF program | |
| awards grants on a peer-reviewed, competitive basis to partnerships | |
| between institutions of higher education and one or more school | |
| districts to improve math and science education. Funds are used to | |
| develop innovative reform programs that, if proven successful, would be | |
| the key to large-scale reform at the state level. The ED program | |
| allocates funding on the basis of population and poverty to all 50 | |
| states, which then compete the funding to math and science partnerships | |
| at the local level. | |
| The Administration's fiscal year 2005 (FY05) budget attempted to | |
| zero out the NSF program and transfer the remaining $120 million to ED. | |
| The Science Committee opposed the move in its FY05 Views and Estimates. | |
| In relevant part, the Committee stated: | |
| The Committee is especially troubled by the proposal to | |
| eliminate the NSF's Math and Science Partnership Program. This | |
| program was specifically authorized as part of the National | |
| Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002. The Committee | |
| strongly believes that NSF is the only federal agency with a | |
| proven record of selecting education projects that offer the | |
| best hope to narrow the achievement gap and raise student | |
| performance in math and science. Through its competitive, | |
| merit-based process, NSF is uniquely qualified to use its | |
| decades of experience in education research and evaluation to | |
| appraise grant proposals and to strengthen the link between | |
| research findings and classroom practice. The Partnerships | |
| program should be funded at the authorized level of $200 | |
| million. | |
| This transfer was ultimately rejected by the Congress. While the | |
| President's FY06 budget request did not renew the call for the | |
| transfer, it requested only $80 million to meet existing obligations | |
| under the NSF program. Further, the request increased funding for the | |
| ED program and made clear that no new NSF grants would be awarded in | |
| FY06. | |
| Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education | |
| NSF also sponsors a number of other programs through its Division | |
| of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education that are designed to | |
| improve pre-K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics | |
| education. Some, such as the Instructional Materials Development | |
| Program, are designed to develop and disseminate instructional | |
| materials and assessments. Others, like the Informal Science Education | |
| Program, are designed to promote learning outside the classroom, | |
| including through the media, museum exhibits and community-based | |
| organizations. Funding for Elementary, Secondary and Informal Education | |
| at NSF--a division of the Education and Human Resources Directorate-- | |
| totaled approximately $181 million in FY05. The President's FY06 budget | |
| request provides only $141 million. The committee expressed its concern | |
| in its FY06 Views and Estimates. In part: | |
| The Committee is especially disturbed by the proposed cuts in | |
| NSF's Education and Human Resources (EHR) Directorate. Since | |
| 1950, NSF has been tasked with strengthening math and science | |
| education programs at all levels. Yet under the budget | |
| proposal, the overall investment in education at NSF would drop | |
| from $841.4 million in FY05 to $737 million in FY06 (down 12 | |
| percent). Much of the decrease would occur in the Elementary, | |
| Secondary, and Informal Education (ESIE) account, which would | |
| drop from $182 million to $141 million.... | |
| NSF's education programs are unique in their capacity to | |
| develop new and improved materials and assessments, create | |
| better teacher training techniques and move promising ideas | |
| from research to practice. The Committee fears that | |
| disinvestments in this area will deprive states, school | |
| districts and schools of the tools and ideas they need to | |
| achieve the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act. NSF's EHR | |
| programs should receive at least level funding in FY06. | |
| Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching | |
| In 1983, President Reagan signed into a law a program establishing | |
| the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science | |
| Teaching to identify outstanding science and mathematics teachers in | |
| kindergarten through 12th grade. The program, which is administered by | |
| NSF, identifies outstanding science and mathematics teachers, | |
| kindergarten through 12th grade, in each state. These teachers are to | |
| serve as models for their colleagues and will be leaders in the | |
| improvement of science and mathematics education. In fact, since 1983 | |
| over 3,000 teachers have been selected to enter the network of | |
| Presidential Awardees. While most have remained in the classroom, some | |
| have become school principals, supervisors, superintendents and college | |
| faculty. | |
| Recognition is given to K-12 teachers in four award groups: (l) | |
| elementary mathematics, (2) elementary science, (3) secondary | |
| mathematics, and (4) secondary science, with the secondary groups | |
| including middle, junior, and senior high school teachers. The award | |
| now alternates yearly by grade level. This year, the award will | |
| recognize teachers of grades K-6, with one elementary math and one | |
| elementary science awardee from each state. | |
| Teachers applying for the award must be nominated. Anyone may | |
| nominate a teacher (self-nominations, however, are not accepted), and | |
| then a state selection committee chooses three finalists from each | |
| award group for recognition at the state level. A national selection | |
| committee, comprising prominent mathematicians, scientists and | |
| educators, reviews the state-level finalists and makes award | |
| recommendations to NSF and the President. Each award includes a $10,000 | |
| award from the NSF for the recipient's school and a Presidential | |
| citation. In addition, awardees are invited to attend an award ceremony | |
| and other Washington recognition events, including meetings with | |
| leaders in government and education. | |
| 4. Questions for Witnesses | |
| The panelists were asked to address the following questions in | |
| their testimony before the Committee: | |
| <bullet> Based on the involvement you have had with federal | |
| math and science programs, what are the most important and | |
| effective components of these programs? | |
| <bullet> What are the factors that limit the performance of | |
| students and teachers in math and science? What is the single, | |
| most important step that the Federal Government should take to | |
| improve math and science education? | |
| <bullet> What elements of your pre-service or in-service | |
| training have been most helpful in meeting the daily demands of | |
| working with students, developing innovative classroom | |
| strategies and delivering content rich instruction to a diverse | |
| group of students? | |
| Chairman Boehlert. The hearing will come to order. | |
| I am going to keep my opening remarks brief, because I have | |
| had the privilege of having breakfast this morning with our | |
| presidential awardees, and what a pleasure it was to start off | |
| the day with them. | |
| Let me just say, though, that there is no issue within our | |
| jurisdiction that I care more deeply about than science and | |
| math education, especially at the pre-college level, and I | |
| suspect that every one of my colleagues here today would say | |
| the same thing. | |
| None of the other things this committee wants to see done, | |
| whether it is developing a hydrogen car or maintaining a | |
| presence in space, none of these things can be accomplished | |
| unless we have the scientists and engineers to do the work in a | |
| scientifically literate society that will support and learn | |
| from it. And of course, there is only one way we can create | |
| those scientists and engineers and educated citizens, and that | |
| is through education, starting from earliest childhood. | |
| And who will do the educating? Parents, surely, and, for | |
| better or worse, the popular culture. But the most critical | |
| component in the whole system are our nation's teachers. That | |
| is why one of the first hearings I held as Chairman of this | |
| committee was with the Presidential Math and Science Teaching | |
| Awardees, and I promised to make this an annual event. | |
| Let me say how refreshing it was for the first time--we | |
| talk a lot about education, we talk a lot about teaching. We | |
| ought to do more listening, and I can't think of a better group | |
| to listen to than the people before me, not just those of you | |
| who are on the panel, but all of those educators that you | |
| represent who are so dedicated and so devoted. | |
| You would think that this kind of hearing would be | |
| happening all of the time, but unfortunately, that is not the | |
| case. Instead, Congress talks constantly about education, but | |
| it rarely listens. And it listens least of all to the most | |
| important experts, actual classroom teachers, the folks at the | |
| front lines of our nation's education system. And let me tell | |
| you something. We talk about education. Everybody in this town | |
| likes to talk about the importance of national security. This | |
| is a national security issue of the highest order, educating | |
| our young people, particularly in the math and science | |
| disciplines. And if you want to be encouraged about the | |
| opportunities for careers, because everybody expects the same | |
| thing, you work hard, you do what mom and dad or your preacher | |
| or your priest or your rabbi tells you to do, you get good | |
| grades, and you come out and say, ``Here I am world.'' If there | |
| are no job opportunities, all of that seems to be for naught. I | |
| will tell you, in my area alone, in central New York, they are | |
| trying to hire 1,200, not 12, not 112, but 1,200 engineers. I | |
| had meetings yesterday to talk to these people about them. | |
| Workforce development, there isn't a Member of Congress who | |
| doesn't face that. Every time I go back home to talk to the | |
| business leaders, they say, ``We have got to develop a better- | |
| educated workforce.'' And I say, ``You are right.'' And I wish | |
| I could bring all of those captains of industry down here to | |
| listen to this panel. | |
| I am excited about your presentation, as I am every year. | |
| And you will see Members of Congress coming and going, because | |
| quite frankly, while a lot of people are under the | |
| misunderstanding that Members of Congress don't work very hard, | |
| I can tell you they work very hard. And Members of Congress are | |
| not just on a Committee, like this Science Committee, as | |
| important as it is, they are on defense committees and | |
| committees dealing with foreign policy and agriculture and | |
| education, a whole wide range of subjects. So people come and | |
| go because they are jockeying their schedule, and you will see | |
| Members come in and go out. It is not because of any lack of | |
| interest. It is because they are all someplace doing something. | |
| Woody Allen says, ``Everybody has to be someplace.'' Well, here | |
| we are. And boy, I am happy to be here. And I am happy to be | |
| here to introduce you to my associate in this venture, my | |
| partner, the Ranking Minority Member, Mr. Gordon of Tennessee. | |
| [The prepared statement of Chairman Boehlert follows:] | |
| Prepared Statement of Chairman Sherwood L. Boehlert | |
| I'm going to keep my opening comments brief so we can get to our | |
| impressive witnesses without further delay. | |
| Let me just say, though, that there is no issue within our | |
| jurisdiction that I care about more deeply than science and math | |
| education, especially at the pre-college level. And I suspect that | |
| every one of my colleagues on this dais would say the same thing. | |
| None of the other things this committee wants to see done--whether | |
| it's developing a hydrogen car or maintaining a presence in space--none | |
| of these things can be accomplished unless we have the scientists and | |
| engineers to do the work and a scientifically literate citizenry who | |
| will support it and learn from it. And, of course, there's only one way | |
| we can create those scientists and engineers and educated citizens, and | |
| that's through education--starting from earliest childhood. | |
| And who will do the educating? Parents, surely, and, for better or | |
| worse, the popular culture. But most critical are our nation's | |
| teachers. That's why one of the first hearings I held as Chairman of | |
| this committee was with the Presidential Math and Science Teaching | |
| Awardees, and I promised then to make the hearing an annual event. | |
| You'd think that this sort of hearing would be happening all the | |
| time, but, unfortunately, that's not the case. Instead, Congress talks | |
| constantly about education, but it rarely listens, and it listens least | |
| of all to the most important experts--actual classroom teachers, the | |
| folks at the front lines of our nation's educational system. | |
| So today's hearing offers us a rare opportunity to hear directly | |
| from teachers--and not just any teachers, but those who have been | |
| recognized as the best. So we're eager to hear what you have to say. | |
| We want especially to learn how the Federal Government can help you | |
| do your jobs. Which federal programs have been helpful and which have | |
| not worked? Please be candid and specific in your answers, and describe | |
| particular experiences that you have had. We hear policy prescriptions | |
| and theories all the time; we want to hear from you about real life. | |
| But before we begin, let me just congratulate each of you, not only | |
| for winning this prestigious award, but for doing the incredible work | |
| that enabled you to earn it. We want to hear from as many of you as | |
| possible, so we'll go through our usual hearing--listening to testimony | |
| and asking questions to our panel of four teachers--and then, if time | |
| allows, we'll open the floor for a while to comments from any of the | |
| other awardees. | |
| I'm eager to hear your testimony. | |
| Mr. Gordon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to join you in | |
| welcoming all of these outstanding teachers to our meeting | |
| today. | |
| In Washington, we are often not very brief, and we don't | |
| worry about duplication, but when we occasionally do, we say we | |
| want to associate ourselves with the remarks of the, whomever | |
| it might be, and I certainly want to associate myself with the | |
| remarks of our Chairman, who really summed up my feelings and | |
| most folks' feelings here about the importance of the job that | |
| you do, because you really are the men and women that serve on | |
| the front lines with K-12 in math and science. And as a son of | |
| two teachers, I admire the skill and the dedication of all of | |
| you outstanding teachers. And I want to extend my very sincere | |
| congratulations to all of you. | |
| And I would particularly like to acknowledge and | |
| congratulate one of our witnesses, my constituent, Ms. Cynthia | |
| Cliche from Homer Pittard Campus School in my hometown of | |
| Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In addition to teaching the first | |
| grade, Cynthia is a Math Methods instructor at Middle Tennessee | |
| State University, also my alma mater, so as you can see, there | |
| is some overlap here. | |
| There is no more important job--and also I had nothing to | |
| do with this election. There is no more important job than the | |
| one these teachers perform every day. Their efforts inspire the | |
| next generation of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers | |
| who will make the discoveries and create the technological | |
| marvels of the future. | |
| And today, the Science Committee has the privilege of | |
| hearing from some of the best math and science teachers in the | |
| Nation, and I hope to learn what attracted you to teaching | |
| careers and the factors that led to your outstanding success as | |
| math and science teachers, and what it will take to replicate | |
| your success and increase your numbers. And I would also | |
| appreciate hearing about your experiences with federally- | |
| sponsored teacher professional development programs and the | |
| activities that resulted in new, and hopefully improved, | |
| teaching materials. This is particularly important to us right | |
| now, because many of us are concerned that the current | |
| science--or not only on the Science Committee, but throughout | |
| Congress, we are very concerned that the fiscal year 2006 | |
| budget contemplates a significant reduction in the programs | |
| that support K-12 science and math education. So I hope that | |
| you are going to give us some ammunition to combat the folks | |
| that want to do that. | |
| And I would also be interested in hearing about the | |
| experiences that the expert teachers here this morning have had | |
| with the National Science Foundation-supported education | |
| programs and what value they would place on these programs. | |
| Again, I want to congratulate not only our witnesses but | |
| all of you here today, you outstanding teachers, for | |
| contributions that you are making yourself to our country, but | |
| more importantly, really, for the inspiration in all of those | |
| apostles that you are sending out to help others. | |
| Thank you very much. | |
| [The prepared statement of Mr. Gordon follows:] | |
| Prepared Statement of Representative Bart Gordon | |
| Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to join you in welcoming the many | |
| outstanding teachers present in our hearing room this morning. | |
| Our witnesses, and their colleagues in the audience, have come to | |
| Washington to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in | |
| Mathematics and Science Teaching. These are the men and women who serve | |
| with distinction on the front lines of K-12 science and math education. | |
| As the son of two teachers, I admire the skill and dedication of | |
| these outstanding teachers and extend my warmest congratulations to | |
| each of them. | |
| I would particularly like to acknowledge and congratulate one of | |
| our witnesses, and my constituent, Ms. Cynthia Lynn Cliche from Homer | |
| Pittard Campus School in Murfreesboro, TN. | |
| She is a graduate of Ball State University and received a Master's | |
| degree from Berry College. | |
| In addition to teaching first grade math, she is a Math Methods | |
| Instructor at Middle Tennessee State University. | |
| There is no more important job than the one these teachers perform | |
| every day. Their efforts inspire the next generation of scientists, | |
| mathematicians, and engineers, who will make the discoveries and create | |
| the technological marvels of the future. | |
| Today, the Science Committee has the privilege of hearing from some | |
| of the best math and science teachers in the Nation. | |
| I hope to learn what attracted you to teaching careers and the | |
| factors that led to your outstanding success as math and science | |
| teachers--and what it will take to replicate your success and increase | |
| your numbers. | |
| I would also appreciate hearing about your experiences with | |
| federally sponsored teacher professional development programs and | |
| activities that resulted in new, and hopefully improved, teaching | |
| materials. | |
| This is a matter of particular interest to the Science Committee as | |
| we contemplate the FY 2006 budget request for the National Science | |
| Foundation, which recommends substantial reductions in the programs | |
| that support K-12 science and math education activities. | |
| I would be interested in hearing about the experiences the expert | |
| teachers here this morning have had with NSF-supported education | |
| programs, and what value they would place on these programs. | |
| Again, I want to offer my congratulations to our witnesses on their | |
| presidential awards. I appreciate their attendance before the | |
| Committee, and I look forward to our discussion. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much, Mr. Gordon. | |
| [The prepared statement of Mr. Inglis follows:] | |
| Prepared Statement of Representative Bob Inglis | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to congratulate these | |
| teachers who have demonstrated such excellence in their fields. You all | |
| represent the future of our nation. By teaching our children in the | |
| basic skills of math and science, you are sowing the seeds of a | |
| competitive workforce. | |
| I'm sure that there are Members of this committee who can speak | |
| more intelligently about the work you do, including Ms. Hooley, the | |
| Ranking Member of the Research Subcommittee, who is a former teacher. I | |
| am looking forward to hearing more from you about the magic you work in | |
| the classroom, stirring interest in science and mathematics. I'd like | |
| to take this time to talk a little about the future. | |
| A few months ago, I spoke to an executive for General Electric. | |
| When I asked him if he had enough qualified engineers to fill his | |
| research jobs, he said ``No.'' He could hire 300 tomorrow if they were | |
| available. He said we need more qualified and inspiring teachers. There | |
| just aren't enough teachers to train the future scientists and | |
| engineers his company needs. | |
| GE is not alone. The Department of Labor estimates that there will | |
| be six million job openings for scientists, engineers, and | |
| mathematicians by 2008. Sixty percent of new jobs will require a solid | |
| mathematical background. Think about auto mechanics: they need to be | |
| able to read graphs, understand timing diagrams, and reset | |
| microprocessors. | |
| But we're not on a path to fill those six million job openings. | |
| We're only producing 60,000 engineers per year, compared to over half- | |
| million per year in China and India. I fear that our lack of investment | |
| in science and math education is creating an innovation gap between our | |
| country and emerging economies. We must not sit idly by and slip into | |
| obscurity. | |
| That's why I'm pleased that we're highlighting your work today. | |
| Your ability to impart passion is a gift. We all have a story of how a | |
| great teacher changed the way we thought, not just about the subject | |
| matter, but about the world. Those present are acknowledged as our | |
| nation's greatest teachers, and our greatest resource for reaching our | |
| children with the message: math and science are essential to your | |
| future success. | |
| I'm eager to hear your suggestions of how we can help you do your | |
| job better, and how we can help other teachers become inspirers. | |
| [The prepared statement of Mr. Costello follows:] | |
| Prepared Statement of Representative Jerry F. Costello | |
| Good morning. I want to thank the witnesses for appearing before | |
| our committee to discuss elementary and secondary math and science | |
| education. For years, the Science Committee has been actively | |
| conducting hearings on reform of elementary and secondary education to | |
| better student performance and has produced quality legislation to | |
| reverse a trend of inadequate interest and training in the science, | |
| math, engineering, and technology fields. Today's hearing continues | |
| this effort and gives us the opportunity to honor a group of teachers | |
| that have been recognized for their excellence as math and science | |
| teachers, and to discuss factors influencing recruitment and retention | |
| of math and science teachers. | |
| I continue to be concerned that our students are far behind in math | |
| and science issues. Failure to engage more elementary and secondary | |
| students in these subjects has the direct effect of decreasing the | |
| number of math and science undergraduates and, consequently, graduate | |
| students. It is important to provide stimulating and challenging math | |
| and science education programs for all students in order to foster a | |
| leads to the development of a less-informed, less-discriminating | |
| citizenry. My wife, who is the Assistant Superintendent of the Regional | |
| Office of Education in St. Clair, County Illinois, often reminds me | |
| that at the front lines of any reform efforts are teachers. High | |
| teacher turnover creates a continual demand for new teachers, and those | |
| teachers require teacher professional education and development. Having | |
| a qualified teacher in every classroom is a significant contributor to | |
| student success and ensuring a superior education. | |
| As Congress debates the Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2006, we | |
| must remember how important and critical these initiatives are for | |
| students to be competitive in math and science nationally and | |
| internationally. Each year, we have this hearing to bring us closer to | |
| resolving a fundamental problem that continues to plague our education | |
| system. I commend the Science Committee's commitment to improving | |
| teacher recruitment and retention so we can increase student interest | |
| levels and their knowledge and understanding of these valuable | |
| subjects, and I welcome our panel of witnesses and look forward to | |
| their testimony. | |
| [The prepared statement of Ms. Johnson follows:] | |
| Prepared Statement of Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson | |
| First, I would like to thank the Chair and Ranking Member for | |
| calling this hearing. I also want to congratulate the teachers who are | |
| here before us as witnesses today on their outstanding accomplishments. | |
| Today, we are here to honor a group of teachers who have received | |
| national recognition for their excellence as science and math teachers, | |
| and to explore some of the factors that influence the recruitment, | |
| professional development and retention of science and math teachers. | |
| It is very important that we meet to recognize the important | |
| contributions made by these individuals. Teachers improve the lives of | |
| children and their families. Teachers also strive to give voice to | |
| their legitimate professional, economic and social aspirations. They | |
| strengthen the institutions in which we work, improve the quality of | |
| the services we provide, bring together all members to assist and | |
| support one another and promote democracy, human rights and freedom, in | |
| our nation and throughout the world. | |
| I believe that education must be our number one national priority. | |
| In fact, during my almost thirty years as a legislator, I have fought | |
| to ensure that education is on top of the legislative agenda. | |
| Without teachers, this nation could not flourish. A skilled | |
| workforce is the essential fuel to propel the economy and ensure a high | |
| quality of life. It is absolutely critical to the success of our | |
| nation's economy that we continue to produce a scientifically literate | |
| workforce. | |
| It is for teachers, like the ones who are here today, that we must | |
| re-emphasize our commitment to education. Now is the time to increase | |
| education spending. Education is not a luxury item that can be trimmed | |
| when more enticing budget items beckon. It is an essential element that | |
| should be our highest national priority. | |
| It is time to take action to ensure the best possible education for | |
| our children. | |
| [The prepared statement of Mr. Davis follows:] | |
| Prepared Statement of Representative Lincoln Davis | |
| Congratulations to all of the recipients of the 2004 Presidential | |
| Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. This award is | |
| the Nation's highest prize for K-12 math and science educators. | |
| Math and science education is important for the prosperity and | |
| international competitiveness of our nation. Our ability to develop | |
| faster computers, better research tools, more sensitive medical | |
| diagnostic equipment, and more fuel-efficient engines depend on what we | |
| do now to produce future scientists and engineers. We must foster a | |
| creative spirit and love of math and science in kids today. | |
| The work of teachers everywhere inspires these future generations. | |
| Great educators, such as those being honored here today, are planting | |
| seeds in the minds of bright, curious, young students. These teachers' | |
| days are long, their charge is great, but their influence is powerful. | |
| In Tennessee, two teachers were selected for this highest honor in | |
| K-12 math and science education. One of them, Ms. Beverly Ramsey, is | |
| from Viola, Tennessee, and teaches at West Elementary School in | |
| McMinnville. I would like to extend special congratulations to her. I | |
| am certain that Ms. Ramsey's energy and love of science are infectious | |
| in her classroom and have inspired many young scientists. | |
| I commend the important work that all of you are doing and am | |
| grateful for this forum to recognize you today. | |
| [The prepared statement of Mr. Carnahan follows:] | |
| Prepared Statement of Representative Russ Carnahan | |
| Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member, thank you for holding this | |
| positive hearing today. | |
| I am pleased to welcome our exemplary panelists and awardees, Joyce | |
| Dodd, Cynthia Cliche, Lonna Sanderson, Cassandra Barnes, and Pita | |
| Martinez-McDonald. Also, I want to give special recognition to the two | |
| awardees from my home State of Missouri, Russell Gramer and Gail | |
| Underwood. | |
| Thank you for agreeing to speak to the Science Committee today, and | |
| more importantly, thank you for your hard work and outstanding | |
| commitment to serving our nation's children. | |
| Clearly, our nation experiences setbacks in recruitment of teachers | |
| in mathematics and science as well as declining student performance in | |
| the same subject areas. Today's testimony is a breath of fresh air at a | |
| time when we find no simple solutions to either of these problems. | |
| Please know that this body is committed to finding the policy | |
| solutions best suited to improve student performance in math and | |
| science. We have much to learn from all of you and I look forward to | |
| your testimony. | |
| [The prepared statement of Ms. Jackson Lee follows:] | |
| Prepared Statement of Representative Sheila Jackson Lee | |
| Chairman Boehlert, Ranking Member Gordon, | |
| I want to thank you for organizing this important hearing with | |
| these teachers who exemplify all that is right with our nation. Truly, | |
| teachers are among the Americans who give the most and ask for the | |
| least in return. They are true public servants and it is on their | |
| shoulders that our hopes as a nation really rest. It was the great | |
| educator and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune who said: ``We | |
| have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to | |
| change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward | |
| good ends.'' Clearly, the young students we teach today will be the | |
| leaders of industry that our nation will depend on in the not too | |
| distant future. | |
| Let me congratulate all the 2004 Presidential Awardees for | |
| Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Let me especially | |
| congratulate my fellow Texans in the room: Ms. Lonna Sanderson from | |
| Austin, TX and Ms. Kathy Skinner from Grapevine, TX, both of you have | |
| made the great State of Texas proud with your achievement. All the | |
| Members of this committee will agree that Math and Science are two | |
| subjects we simply can not ignore in our youth. Our nation has declined | |
| over the years in these vital subject areas and it is to our long-term | |
| detriment. Our nation has been known throughout the world as one of | |
| innovation and discovery, however we may not be able to hold this | |
| distinction unless we can continue to inspire our youth to push the | |
| boundaries of what is possible. | |
| I am especially concerned about the issue of minorities in math and | |
| science. Minorities are under-represented at every level from | |
| elementary to graduate school. Lack of preparation in science among | |
| under-represented minority groups in the early elementary grades | |
| undermines enrollment and success in secondary-level school programs | |
| and, ultimately, in college and career choices later in life. In fact, | |
| To achieve ``parity''--minorities in engineering comparable to their | |
| representation in the general population--we would have to produce by | |
| 2010 an average of 25,000 per year. Today, universities graduate just | |
| over one-third that number. | |
| As the Nation's economic base shifts increasingly toward | |
| technology, participation and achievement in science and mathematics | |
| among minority students become increasingly important. Unfortunately, | |
| minority students, those who form the most rapidly growing portion of | |
| our school-age population, are the ones that are most left out of | |
| science and mathematics. By not studying these subjects, both the | |
| minority students and the United States as a whole stand to lose. The | |
| minority students are depriving themselves of many career choices, | |
| including the skilled technical and computer-oriented occupations as | |
| well as access to high salaried occupations. Further, a basic | |
| understanding of science and mathematics is essential for all students, | |
| not only those pursuing careers in scientific and technical fields. | |
| Adequate preparation in science and mathematics enables students to | |
| develop intellectually and socially, and participate fully in a | |
| technological society as informed citizens. The United States can meet | |
| future potential shortfalls of scientists and engineers only by | |
| reaching out and bringing members of under-represented minorities into | |
| science and engineering. America's standing and competitiveness depend | |
| on it. | |
| Truly, the areas of math and science are essential to our youth as | |
| well as to the health of our nation. Young Americans will be the future | |
| leaders and innovators not only for our nation, but for the world. It | |
| was author Luella F. Phean who stated: ``Youth is not a time of life, | |
| it is a state of mind. You are as old as your doubt, your fear, your | |
| despair. The way to keep young is to keep your faith young. Keep your | |
| self-confidence young. Keep your hope young.'' I am confident that all | |
| the teachers we have here today give that spirit of encouragement to | |
| all their students and our nation will only be richer for it. | |
| [The prepared statement of Mr. Matheson follows:] | |
| Prepared Statement of Representative Jim Matheson | |
| Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Gordon, I appreciate the opportunity | |
| to participate in today's hearing. The quality of math and science | |
| education in our country is an important consideration, and one of the | |
| best tools that we have in making improvements is the examination of | |
| current, successful classroom teachers. | |
| In that vein, I wanted to briefly recognize two of my constituents, | |
| both of whom are 2004 Presidential Awardees for Excellence in | |
| Mathematics and Science Teaching. | |
| Ms. Carol Skousen is a teacher at Twin Peaks Elementary School in | |
| Holladay, Utah. She is noted for being an excellent classroom teacher. | |
| The principal of her school notes that she demonstrates concern for | |
| each individual child, ``sensitivity with which she listens and | |
| (concern) in responding to inquiring minds.'' | |
| The second individual is Ms. Jennifer Buttars. She teaches in the | |
| Jordan School District in Utah and she was awarded the mathematics | |
| prize for our state. | |
| Both of these teachers exemplify the excellence in education that | |
| should serve as a model for our school system. They have devoted | |
| considerable time to improving their classrooms and ensuring that their | |
| students truly benefit from their energy and devotion to this | |
| profession. | |
| I am very pleased that both Ms. Skousen and Ms. Buttars are here | |
| today for this important hearing. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Our witness list is very distinguished. | |
| Joyce Dodd teaches sixth grade mathematics at Bryson Middle | |
| School in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Ms. Dodd has more than | |
| 30 years of teaching experience. You have already been | |
| introduced to Cynthia Cliche who teaches first grade | |
| mathematics, and had the good judgment to go to Mr. Gordon's | |
| alma mater, at Homer Pittard Campus School in Murfreesboro, | |
| Tennessee. Ms. Cliche is also a college-level Math Methods | |
| instructor for Middle Tennessee State University. She has more | |
| than 20 years of teaching experience. Cassandra Barnes | |
| teaches--oh, now wait. I am not going to introduce you, Ms. | |
| Barnes. I am going to yield to Congresswoman Hooley for an | |
| introduction. | |
| Ms. Hooley. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | |
| And again, congratulations to all of you and for what you | |
| do every day. | |
| Ms. Barnes teaches grade school in Clackamas County, my | |
| home county, and it is wonderful what she does and that you are | |
| with us today. Thank you for being here. As technology | |
| continues to advance and improve at our workplace, it places | |
| more stress on math and science. Ms. Barnes inspires her | |
| students every single day in math and science. And it is really | |
| important because so much of that is the future of our country. | |
| It is the foundation of our new jobs, and so we are delighted | |
| that you are with us today. | |
| And again, congratulations to all of you. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chair. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much. | |
| And for the purpose of an introduction, the Chair | |
| recognizes Mr. McCaul of Texas. | |
| Mr. McCaul. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | |
| First, I want to congratulate all five of you. In my view, | |
| you have the most important job in the world. You are the | |
| educators that shape the future of America, and I want to thank | |
| all five of you for that. | |
| It is my honor to introduce to you Lonna Sanderson. She is | |
| from Texas, my home state, and she is from my hometown of | |
| Austin. She is also, more importantly, a constituent of mine, | |
| and I probably shouldn't say this, but she did vote for me, | |
| which I was glad to hear backstage. And I had--unlike the | |
| Ranking Member, I had everything to do with her nomination. | |
| Just kidding. | |
| She is a third grade teacher at Will Davis Elementary | |
| School in Austin independent school district. She is in her | |
| fifth year at Will Davis, but she has been an elementary school | |
| teacher in Austin independent school district for 25 years. In | |
| 2000, Ms. Sanderson was recognized as a national board- | |
| certified teacher, an achievement she considered the high point | |
| of her career until now, when now she is receiving the | |
| Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics | |
| Teaching. Ms. Sanderson is a person who is capable of great | |
| accomplishments. And this is just what she is achieving by | |
| giving Texas' young students a world-class education in math | |
| and science, an achievement we need more of in this Nation to | |
| cultivate and raise more scientists and engineers in this | |
| country, more home grown. I wish that every math and science | |
| teacher could be as gifted as Ms. Sanderson and the rest of the | |
| recipients of this great honor from President Bush. For | |
| innovative use of technology in the classroom is truly a model | |
| for the Nation. | |
| Mr. Chairman, I look forward to working with you and the | |
| Science Committee to find ways to address America's teacher | |
| shortage and to keep kids excited about the great possibilities | |
| of math and science academics. | |
| And I would like to end with a quote that appears behind | |
| me, because I think it says everything about your profession: | |
| ``For I dipped into the future as far as human eyes could see | |
| and the vision of the world and all of the wonder that would | |
| be.'' That is what you provide for the youth in the United | |
| States and in America, and I thank you for it. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Thank you. And eloquently said. | |
| And our final witness is Pita Martinez-McDonald. She | |
| teaches fourth grade science at Cuba Elementary School in Cuba, | |
| New Mexico. She has been a teacher for 30 years. | |
| Just let me tell you one of the great challenges that we | |
| face in our jobs here, challenge us every single day, you know | |
| them all, but one of the greatest challenges I faced was three | |
| weeks ago when I was going to go out and have dinner with my | |
| eldest daughter who lives in suburban Virginia. And she said, | |
| ``Dad, do you mind spending a little extra time, because I want | |
| you to help Palmer,'' that is my 13-year-old grandson, ``with | |
| his homework?'' And boy, I started to sweat immediately. I was | |
| afraid it was going to be math or something where I am--as it | |
| turned out, we had a very pleasant evening, because his | |
| assignment was to develop a bill to introduce before Congress | |
| and convince his classmates that it should pass. And so that | |
| made the challenge a little easier. But boy, I was almost ready | |
| to get my Rolodex out and start calling you, Ms. Martinez- | |
| McDonald. But thank you very much for being here and for being | |
| facilitators for this committee. | |
| What we will do is include your entire statement in the | |
| record at this juncture, or as you complete your summary of the | |
| statement. We would ask that you summarize your statement. The | |
| Chair is not going to be arbitrary, but we shoot for, whether | |
| it is outstanding teachers or Cabinet officers, we ask for a | |
| summary of five to six minutes or so, and that allows more time | |
| for us to give questions. | |
| But before we do anything, just let me say on behalf of the | |
| whole Committee, and I would ask that you join me in a standing | |
| ovation for you, our nation's best. | |
| Just let me tell you something. We don't start all of our | |
| hearings with standing ovations for the witness panel. | |
| Ms. Dodd, you are up first. | |
| STATEMENT OF MS. JOYCE W. DODD, BRYSON MIDDLE SCHOOL, | |
| SIMPSONVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA | |
| Ms. Dodd. Thank you. | |
| It is indeed my honor to address this committee today and a | |
| very humbling experience to speak on behalf of my colleagues. | |
| The single most important step that I think the Federal | |
| Government should take to improve math and science education in | |
| this country involves steps taken to improve pre-service and | |
| in-service training for the teachers of mathematics in | |
| elementary and middle schools. When math teachers in these | |
| classrooms do not have a strong background in mathematics, that | |
| deficit will definitely impact both the content and the process | |
| of what they are teaching, the how and the what. | |
| I am one of these teachers who found herself teaching | |
| mathematics in a middle school by walking in the door with an | |
| elementary education certificate. My job as a home economics | |
| teacher was phased out due to budget cuts. I was determined to | |
| become the best math teacher that I could be. I took stock of | |
| the situation, and I knew that I was a good teacher. I called a | |
| friend of mine who happened to be the district math | |
| coordinator, and I asked her how could I fast track my | |
| knowledge in mathematics. She gave me two pieces of advice, | |
| which I followed. | |
| The first piece of advice was to join the National Council | |
| of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). That organization produces | |
| high quality teaching materials. It publishes a magazine that | |
| connects math teachers with the best practices and the best | |
| math teachers in the country. It is the organization that | |
| changes the direction of the way math is taught in America. | |
| Mathematics is a science, and as such, it is a growing, | |
| evolving discipline. | |
| The math content that I teach my sixth graders needs to | |
| prepare them for life in the future. This shift in math content | |
| is often misunderstood by many people, including math teachers. | |
| Math is so much more than adding two plus two and getting four | |
| or teaching a child to struggle through division of two digits | |
| into three-digit numbers. Those are operations, and they can | |
| easily be done on a calculator. You can get that at any Wal- | |
| Mart for less than $10. My job is to put the power behind the | |
| calculator and help that child reason, ``Is the answer correct? | |
| Does it make sense?'' | |
| NCTM also sponsors top quality educational programs for | |
| teachers. I have benefited from these programs. I participated | |
| in a four-day seminar called ``T3,'' teachers teaching teachers | |
| technology. This course enabled me to become proficient using a | |
| graphing calculator. I would suggest that this course is an | |
| excellent course as a model for NSF to fund programs such as | |
| this. The carrot for me was, of course, learning to be | |
| proficient with the graphing calculator, but even more | |
| importantly, I got a free graphing calculator. Teachers will | |
| work for free stuff. What an incentive. | |
| The second piece of advice that my friend gave me was to | |
| take as many math content classes as I could. Now I was | |
| extremely fortunate. At the time, the place that I was working, | |
| which was Greenville, South Carolina, our district had the | |
| foresight and it took the funding to finance courses for middle | |
| school teachers who lacked secondary certification in | |
| mathematics to take higher level math classes. Not every | |
| teacher in the country can be that fortunate. | |
| These were especially valuable courses, because they were | |
| taught using best practices. That meant that my college | |
| professor, Dr. Celia Adair, was teaching me as an active | |
| learner. That meant that I had an opportunity to use technology | |
| to discover answers. I was making sense of mathematics myself. | |
| I could think back to the way Celia taught our class to make | |
| model lessons for my own students, because we all tend to teach | |
| the way we were taught. So if we want teachers to be able to | |
| teach children actively, we need to let those teachers | |
| experience learning from that standpoint. | |
| In closing, I would again reiterate that probably the best | |
| use of federal funds is to sponsor in-service training for the | |
| teachers we already have in the classroom and, just as | |
| importantly, pre-service teachers. We know what makes good | |
| learners. We know they need to be active. We need to expect our | |
| higher education institutions to be turning out teachers that | |
| can teach children using active learning strategies. | |
| Thank you. | |
| [The prepared statement of Ms. Dodd follows:] | |
| Prepared Statement of Joyce W. Dodd | |
| It is indeed an honor to address this committee and a humbling | |
| experience to speak on behalf of my colleagues today. The single most | |
| important step that the Federal Government should take to improve math | |
| and science education in this country is to improve pre-service and in- | |
| service training for teachers of mathematics in elementary and middle | |
| schools. When math teachers in these classrooms do not have a strong | |
| background in mathematics, that deficit impacts both the content and | |
| the process (the ``what'' and the ``how'') of their teaching. | |
| I am one of these teachers who found herself teaching mathematics | |
| in a middle school classroom using an elementary teaching certificate. | |
| My job in home economics was phased out due to budget cuts; I was | |
| determined to become the best math teacher that I could become. Taking | |
| stock of the situation, I knew that I was a good teacher. I called the | |
| district math consultant, who was a former colleague, to seek guidance | |
| as to how to ``fast track'' my own math education. She gave me two | |
| pieces of advice, which I followed. | |
| The first piece of advice was to join the National Council of | |
| Teachers of Mathematics. This organization produces high quality | |
| teaching materials and publishes a magazine that connects math teachers | |
| with other math teachers. It is the organization that helped change the | |
| direction of the teaching of mathematics in this country. Mathematics | |
| is a science, and like any other science, it is growing and evolving. | |
| The math content that I teach needs to prepare my students for life | |
| in the future. The shift in math content is misunderstood by many | |
| people, including math educators. Math is so much more than adding 2 + | |
| 2 or dividing a three digit number by a two digit number. These | |
| operations can be easily done with a calculator. The key to using this | |
| technology, which came be purchased at Wal-Mart for under $10, is to | |
| know if the resulting answer is reasonable, i.e., ``Does it make | |
| sense?'' | |
| At this point, I would like to briefly explain the mathematics | |
| standards that, I believe, should be pervasive in elementary, middle | |
| and high schools throughout this country. Five categories form the | |
| content area of mathematics: numbers and operations, algebra, geometry, | |
| measurement and data analysis, and statistics. What makes these | |
| standards ``come alive'' and give meaning to students is the | |
| incorporation of the process standards. These standards include problem | |
| solving, representation, communication, connections, and reasoning and | |
| proofs. | |
| In order to incorporate the process standards students need to be | |
| ``actively engaged'' in math. Active learning has students solving | |
| problems and discussing solutions. Students are able to justify their | |
| work to one another and to the teacher. | |
| I challenge my students who want to become better at math to do | |
| what the NCTM logo suggests, ``Do Math.'' It is my job as their teacher | |
| to create situations where this happens. | |
| NCTM also sponsors courses for teachers through various grants. I | |
| attended one such course taught in our district, T<SUP>3</SUP>. This | |
| acronym stands for teachers teaching technology. This course enabled me | |
| to become proficient with a graphing calculator. I would suggest that | |
| NSF could use this as a model for funding courses for teachers. The | |
| teacher that attends these courses receives free technology--in my case | |
| a free graphing calculator--that can be incorporated in her classroom. | |
| What an incentive! | |
| The second piece of advice was to take as many courses in | |
| mathematics as I could. I was fortunate to be in a district that had an | |
| initiative to improve the content knowledge of mathematics teachers in | |
| the middle school who lacked a degree in secondary mathematics | |
| education. Not all teachers work in a district that gives this much | |
| foresight and financial support to mathematics education. This is where | |
| the Federal Government could sponsor teacher education courses. | |
| These were especially valuable courses because the courses were | |
| taught with the use of ``hands on'' lessons that integrated technology | |
| in each lesson. The college professor in these classes was modeling the | |
| way that I should develop my own lessons. These courses also made | |
| connections within the field of mathematics. I could ``see'' the way | |
| math should be taught. My college professor was the model that I could | |
| duplicate in my classes. I think it is extremely important to have | |
| teachers view other teachers that are actively engaging students in | |
| learning. We all tend to teach the way we were taught. The implication | |
| here is that teacher preparation classes as well as teacher in-services | |
| should employ the teaching practices we desire teachers to use in their | |
| classrooms. | |
| In closing, I would like to say that the knowledge for improving | |
| math education in this country already exists. However, there is a gap | |
| in the dispersal of this information. Programs that foster ``best | |
| teaching'' practices will have children actively engaged in | |
| mathematics. The Federal Government could be on the forefront of this | |
| dispersal of information by sponsoring courses for the teachers of | |
| mathematics. The rewards for participation in these courses could take | |
| the form of stipends, graduate credit or free equipment for the | |
| classroom. A single teacher of mathematics will influence an | |
| astonishing number of students. The profit from this investment would | |
| be astronomical! | |
| Biography for Joyce W. Dodd | |
| <bullet> Graduated in 1972 from Indian University of | |
| Pennsylvania with a degree in Home Economics Education. | |
| <bullet> Began teaching career in Greenville, South Carolina-- | |
| teaching home ec. at an inner city public school, Beck Middle | |
| School. | |
| <bullet> Beck Middle School provided the opportunity to work | |
| with regular students as well as a diverse group of children | |
| with disabilities--both mental and physical. | |
| <bullet> Internalized the philosophy that children learned | |
| best when actively engaged with the content. | |
| <bullet> Began teaching 6th grade math in 1994. | |
| <bullet> Joined NCTM (National Council of Teachers of | |
| Mathematics) allowing for growth in the mathematics education | |
| profession. | |
| <bullet> Updated math education by taking numerous courses in | |
| the field of mathematics education--courses that supported the | |
| NCTM standards for teaching mathematics, courses that updated | |
| technological knowledge and courses that strengthen pedagogical | |
| skills. | |
| <bullet> Obtained National Board Certification in the Area of | |
| Adolescence Mathematics. | |
| <bullet> Became math chairman at current location, Bryson | |
| Middle School--promoted vertical teaming, horizontal grade | |
| level math teaming which lead to a unified math program at | |
| Bryson Middle School. | |
| <bullet> Worked with other teachers in my district in to | |
| create two middle school math curriculum guides each reflecting | |
| the NCTM standards. | |
| <bullet> Married to a high school science teacher. | |
| <bullet> Mother of twins graduating college this year--one | |
| like her parents will begin teaching, her brother will pursue a | |
| graduate degree in a science related field. | |
| <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT> | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much. | |
| Ms. Cliche. | |
| STATEMENT OF MS. CYNTHIA L. CLICHE, HOMER PITTARD CAMPUS | |
| SCHOOL, MURFREESBORO, TENNESSEE | |
| Ms. Cliche. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to | |
| speak before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee of | |
| Science. Special thanks goes to Chairman Sherwood Boehlert for | |
| his support and Ranking Member Bart Gordon, my Representative | |
| from Tennessee. This is such an honor, and I appreciate this | |
| committee's efforts in giving teachers time to discuss topics | |
| which are so important to our children's future. | |
| As you have heard, Campus School is a unique school in | |
| Murfreesboro, because we are the lab school with Middle | |
| Tennessee State University, so it allows me the opportunity to | |
| teach the Math Methods course and work with pre-service | |
| teachers. | |
| Our students benefit from the involvement of the pre- | |
| service teachers, but also in turn, the pre-service teachers | |
| benefit from working with our students. For instance, several | |
| years ago, my class, working with the biology department, five | |
| pre-service teachers, and parents built an outdoor pond and | |
| butterfly garden to enrich our first grade curriculum. The next | |
| year, several EFG, Educating Future Generation, teachers, | |
| including myself, built an extensive nature trail with many | |
| more gardens and features around the school. This trail | |
| provides many opportunities to develop hands-on math and | |
| science lessons outside the classroom. It is this type of | |
| activity that can incorporate the National Council of Teachers | |
| of Mathematics, NCTM, principles for education and learning. | |
| I believe the six NCTM principles: equity, curriculum, | |
| teaching, learning, assessment, and technology provide a solid | |
| mathematical foundation for all students, and they should be | |
| emphasized, funded, and applied in every classroom in the | |
| United States. | |
| Equity sets high expectations for all students, regardless | |
| of gender, race, and ability. Every child needs to be given the | |
| opportunity to learn. Sometimes so much emphasis is given to | |
| the lowest achievers that other children are allowed to plateau | |
| in their learning. Teachers need to provide enrichment | |
| opportunities for our higher ability students while | |
| implementing the remedial strategies for our struggling | |
| students. We should never give up on any student. | |
| The mathematics curriculum needs to focus on the five | |
| content standards: numbers and operations, geometry, data | |
| analysis and probability, measurements, and algebra. These | |
| standards provide the content for mathematical teaching. In | |
| addition, lessons need to be hands-on and provide the | |
| opportunity for meaningful learning. Too many teachers use only | |
| a textbook in their elementary classrooms because the | |
| administration feels it is the easiest and most effective way | |
| to teach children. Years of research and experience, however, | |
| show that this is simply not true. Students need to use | |
| manipulatives and problem-solving techniques to encourage | |
| active learning. Look into an effective teacher's classroom and | |
| the children are engaged, talking, and learning. Long gone are | |
| the days of ditto papers and everyone sitting quietly at their | |
| desk. | |
| Teaching requires educators to understand what students | |
| know and how to challenge them to learn it well. Every child | |
| deserves a great teacher, and a great teacher teaches the whole | |
| child. In addition, great teachers increase their learning of | |
| mathematics and improve their ability to implement an effective | |
| curriculum in their classroom. They can do this by learning | |
| from students and colleagues and engaging in professional | |
| development and self-reflection. NCTM, as well as other | |
| national organizations, provide regional and national | |
| conferences to help achieve that goal. Often, it is extremely | |
| difficult for teachers to obtain funding to attend the | |
| professional conferences that keep them up-to-date with current | |
| teaching practices. Professional development needs to be | |
| encouraged and funded for all teachers. After 25 years of | |
| teaching, it is apparent to me that there is still so much more | |
| to learn. Our teachers, like our children, should be lifelong | |
| learners. | |
| Emphasis also needs to be placed on creating a positive | |
| work environment for teachers. If a teacher feels appreciated | |
| and empowered to make decisions in his or her classroom, it | |
| will positively affect student achievement. | |
| At the same time, we need to make the teaching profession | |
| more attractive to our top students. As a university math | |
| methods instructor for the past 15 years, I have seen the | |
| quality of teacher candidates decline. Teachers are being hired | |
| that would not have been given an interview 10 years ago, and | |
| our brightest young adults are choosing careers with higher | |
| salaries and more benefits. My own niece wanted to be a teacher | |
| and this year, upon entering high school, decided to go into | |
| the business field simply because of the salary and the time | |
| commitment. | |
| Learning requires students to truly understand mathematics | |
| and to actively build knowledge from new and prior experiences. | |
| Materials and supports are key to active learning, and our | |
| focus should be on understanding as well as procedural skills. | |
| Some of my proudest moments are when my students return to | |
| visit the classroom. They always remark about the physical | |
| features such as it looks smaller or have you moved your desk. | |
| But then they always talk about a special activity that took | |
| place. It might be the ``Measure Me'' doll that they have made | |
| that was the same birth weight as they were or the tree that | |
| they planted along the trail. Active learning enables a child | |
| to develop a concept in a meaningful way. | |
| Assessments should support the learning of important | |
| mathematics and furnish useful information to both teachers and | |
| students. Assessment should be ongoing throughout the school | |
| year and teachers should be using various forms of evaluation. | |
| A lot of attention and funding is focused on standardized | |
| pencil and paper tests given once a year, but teachers need to | |
| use a variety of tools such as journals, portfolios, and | |
| interview to learn about their students. | |
| Finally, technology is an essential tool in teaching and | |
| learning mathematics. Our children need to leave our classroom | |
| technology literate. In fact, even my first graders have their | |
| calculators in their desks ready to tackle the ``big numbers'' | |
| that occur when they are solving some higher level thinking | |
| problems. They also have several opportunities during the day | |
| to go online and work on websites bookmarked to enhance their | |
| learning of mathematics. So many schools lack the funds to give | |
| their students this opportunity. | |
| As lawmakers, the decisions you make will impact the future | |
| of our children. Thanks so much for your continued dedication | |
| in this area. With the challenges our nation faces today, we | |
| need talented, well-educated children with the ability to solve | |
| the problems of tomorrow. | |
| [The prepared statement of Ms. Cliche follows:] | |
| Prepared Statement of Cynthia L. Cliche | |
| Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to speak before the U.S. | |
| House of Representatives Committee of Science. Special thanks go to | |
| Chairman Sherwood Boehlert for his support and Ranking Member Bart | |
| Gordon, my Representative from Tennessee. This is such an honor and I | |
| appreciate this committee's efforts in giving teachers time to discuss | |
| topics which are so important to our children's future. | |
| My name is Cindy Cliche, and I teach first grade at Homer Pittard | |
| Campus School in Murfreesboro, TN. Campus School is the laboratory | |
| school for Middle Tennessee State University, and it allows me the | |
| unique opportunity to teach a math methods course and to work with pre- | |
| service teachers. | |
| Our students benefit from the involvement of the pre-service | |
| teachers, and they, in turn, benefit by working with our children. For | |
| instance, several years ago my class, working with the Biology | |
| Department, five pre-service teachers, and parents, built an outdoor | |
| pond and butterfly garden to enhance our curriculum. The next year | |
| several EFG (Educating Future Generation) teachers including myself | |
| built an extensive nature trail with many more gardens and features | |
| around the school. This trail provides many opportunities to develop | |
| hands-on math and science lessons outside the classroom. It is this | |
| type of activity that can incorporate the National Council of Teachers | |
| of Mathematics (NCTM) principles for education and learning. | |
| I believe the six NCTM principles--equity, curriculum, teaching, | |
| learning, assessment and technology--provide a solid mathematical | |
| foundation for all students, and they should be emphasized, funded and | |
| applied in every classroom in the United States. | |
| Equity sets high expectations for all students, regardless of | |
| gender, race, and ability. Every child needs to be given the | |
| opportunity to learn. Sometimes, so much emphasis is given to the | |
| lowest achievers that other children are allowed to plateau in their | |
| learning. Teachers need to provide enrichment opportunities for our | |
| higher ability students and implementing remedial strategies for our | |
| struggling students. We should never give up on any student! | |
| The mathematics curriculum needs to focus on the five content | |
| standards: numbers and operations, geometry, data analysis and | |
| probability, measurement, and algebra. These standards provide the | |
| content for mathematical teaching. In addition, lessons need to be | |
| ``hands on'' and provide the opportunity for meaningful learning. Too | |
| many teachers use only a textbook in their elementary classrooms | |
| because the administration feels it is the easiest and most effective | |
| way to teach children. Years of research and experience, however, show | |
| that this is simply not true. Students need to use manipulatives and | |
| problem solving techniques to encourage active learning. Look into an | |
| effective teacher's classroom and the children are engaged, talking and | |
| learning. Long gone are the days of ditto papers and every child | |
| sitting quietly at a desk. | |
| Teaching requires educators to understand what students know and | |
| how to challenge them to learn it well. Every child deserves a great | |
| teacher and a great teacher teaches the whole child. In addition, great | |
| teachers increase their learning of mathematics and improve their | |
| ability to implement an effective curriculum in their classroom. They | |
| can do this by learning from students and colleagues and engaging in | |
| professional development and self-reflection. NCTM, as well as other | |
| national organizations, provides regional and national conferences to | |
| help achieve that goal. Often, it is extremely difficult for teachers | |
| to obtain funding to attend the professional conferences that keep them | |
| up-to-date with current teaching practices. Professional development | |
| needs to be encouraged and funded for all teachers. After twenty five | |
| years of teaching, it is apparent to me that there is still so much to | |
| learn. Our teachers, like our children, should be life long learners. | |
| Emphasis also needs to be placed on creating a positive work | |
| environment for teachers. If a teacher feels appreciated and empowered | |
| to make decisions in his/her classroom, it will positively affect | |
| student achievement. | |
| At the same time we need to make the teaching profession more | |
| attractive to our top students. As a university math methods instructor | |
| for the past fifteen years, I have seen the quality of teacher | |
| candidates decline. Teachers are being hired that would not have been | |
| given an interview ten years ago, and our brightest young adults are | |
| choosing careers with higher salaries and more benefits. My own niece | |
| wanted to be a teacher until she became a senior in high school. Now | |
| she intends to go into business so she can make a bigger salary. Young | |
| people want to be able to justify the cost of an education with the | |
| potential salary. As more of my teaching colleagues begin to look at | |
| retirement, this concern over the lack of quality, committed teachers | |
| becomes alarming. | |
| Learning requires students to truly understand mathematics and to | |
| actively build knowledge from new and prior experiences. Materials and | |
| support are key to active learning, and our focus should be on | |
| understanding as well as procedural skills. Some of my proudest moments | |
| are when my students return to visit the classroom. They will remark | |
| about the physical features, such as: how the room looks smaller or | |
| have you moved your desk. Then they always reminisce about a special | |
| activity. It might be the ``Measure Me'' doll that they made which was | |
| their exact birth weight or the tree they planted along the nature | |
| trail. Active learning enables a child to develop a concept in a | |
| meaningful way. | |
| Assessments should support the learning of important mathematics | |
| and furnish useful information to both teachers and students. | |
| Assessment should be ongoing throughout the school year and teachers | |
| should be using various forms of evaluation. A lot of attention and | |
| funding is focused on a standardized pencil and paper test given once a | |
| year, but teachers need to use a variety of tools such as journals, | |
| portfolios, and interviews to learn about their students. | |
| Finally, technology is an essential tool in teaching and learning | |
| mathematics. Our children need to leave our classrooms technology | |
| literate. In fact, even my first graders have their calculators in | |
| their desks ready to tackle the ``big numbers'' that might occur while | |
| we are solving some higher level problems. They also have several | |
| opportunities during the day to go online and work on websites | |
| bookmarked to enhance their learning of mathematics. So many schools | |
| lack the funds to give their students this opportunity. | |
| As lawmakers, the decisions you make will impact the future of our | |
| children. Thanks so much for your continued dedication in this area. | |
| With the challenges our nation faces today, we need talented, well- | |
| educated children with the ability to solve the problems of tomorrow. | |
| Biography for Cynthia L. Cliche | |
| Education: | |
| Berry College, Rome, Georgia--Master's, Graduated May 1985 | |
| Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana--BS, Graduated May 1980 | |
| Teaching Experience: | |
| Homer Pittard Campus School (Murfreesboro, TN); First Grade, August | |
| 1990-Present | |
| Homer Pittard Campus School (Murfreesboro, TN); Sixth Grade, March | |
| 1990-August 1990 | |
| Bellwood Elementary School, (Calhoun, GA); Kindergarten, October 1979- | |
| May 1989 | |
| Professional Service: | |
| Math Methods Instructor, Middle Tennessee State University | |
| Clinical Instructor for the Elementary and Special Education Department | |
| at Middle Tennessee State University | |
| Professional Organization: | |
| Member of National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (1993 to present) | |
| Presenter at 2005 National Conference (Anaheim, Ca.) | |
| School Committees: | |
| Chairperson for the Healthy School Index, Campus School (Spring 2003) | |
| Chairperson for the Technology Committee, Campus School | |
| Member of the Curriculum Committee | |
| <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT> | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much. Are you still | |
| teaching the times tables? | |
| Ms. Barnes. | |
| STATEMENT OF MS. CASSANDRA BARNES, OREGON TRAIL ELEMENTARY | |
| SCHOOL, CLACKAMAS, OREGON | |
| Ms. Barnes. Good morning. I would like to take this | |
| opportunity to speak to you about what has made a difference in | |
| my continued professional development as a teacher, which, in | |
| turn, makes a difference for my students. | |
| When I began teaching, an experienced colleague and I | |
| attended a typical one-day workshop designed to give teachers | |
| ideas to take back to their classrooms. At the end of the day, | |
| I was bored stiff, and I regretted the $200 I had spent to | |
| attend the conference. I complained to my colleague, who | |
| responded, ``Well, I figure if I walk away with one good idea | |
| to take back to the classroom, it was worth it.'' And I thought | |
| about that, and honestly, at first, I thought, ``Oh, well, | |
| okay. I didn't realize that was the way it worked. You are just | |
| supposed to take one little thing back.'' And the more I | |
| thought about it, the less sense it made, because I thought, | |
| ``Would it be reasonable for me to teach an entire day with the | |
| goal of one tiny thing making sense to children?'' No. And | |
| additionally, the format of the presentation, such as the one I | |
| had attended, didn't fit with what I believe about how we | |
| learn. Most of these one-day workshops consist of ``expert'' | |
| teachers telling us how they do what they do, and we are just | |
| supposed to go do it. And as attendees, we weren't required to | |
| think or discuss or apply any of the content. I was definitely | |
| not an engaged learner. | |
| So 12 years, and numerous professional development | |
| opportunities later, I consider myself to be more of an | |
| informed consumer. I now have high expectations of my | |
| continuing education coursework. I expect professional | |
| development opportunities to challenge my thinking, to require | |
| me to reflect deeply on my practice, and above all, result in | |
| improved learning for my students. These things don't happen in | |
| a fun, easy, six-hour workshop. | |
| Effective professional development for teachers, much like | |
| deep learning of content for school children, takes time. It | |
| must be long-term with opportunities to apply new learning in | |
| the classroom and then reflect on the impact with colleagues. | |
| It involves planning, implementing, and reflecting on student | |
| outcomes with our peers, asking ourselves and each other hard | |
| questions like, ``Why didn't that work? What do I need to | |
| change? What student-based evidence can I use as data to | |
| support my conclusions?'' | |
| For elementary math teachers, professional development | |
| might be additional college-level course work in mathematics, | |
| taught by professors implementing teaching practices, such as | |
| those outlined by the National Council of Teachers of | |
| Mathematics. Many of us were taught mathematics in much the | |
| same way as the early workshops I attended were taught. An | |
| expert, the teacher, told us what and how to think, and we were | |
| supposed to do that and think that way. And many teachers are | |
| now aware that we need to relearn mathematics the way our | |
| students are learning mathematics, constructing models, testing | |
| conjectures, discussing our ideas. Deepening our own | |
| understanding of the mathematics we teach will allow us to | |
| better meet the needs of our students. | |
| Supporting the professional development of pre-service and | |
| in-service teachers is crucial. I believe in high standards for | |
| all students. I believe all children can learn mathematics with | |
| understanding. I believe that the National Science Foundation | |
| funded, standards-based curricula are improving math education | |
| for students across the country. However, I know that the | |
| difference for kids lies in the hearts and minds of the | |
| teachers who implement the curricula and standards. If the | |
| Federal Government wants to take steps to improve math and | |
| science education for our children, they need to focus energy | |
| and resources on providing high quality professional | |
| development for our teachers. | |
| In addition to participating in practice-based professional | |
| development opportunities, something that has made a difference | |
| for both me and my students is the modeling provided by mentor | |
| teachers. | |
| When I began teacher preparation course work, I already had | |
| schema in place for what this job of teaching is all about. As | |
| a student, I had already spent years learning what teachers and | |
| students did. My early memories of mathematics in an elementary | |
| school classroom were doing multiplication problems on the | |
| chalkboard, and there was always a winner in this exercise. The | |
| winner was the person who solved the problem exactly like the | |
| teacher told her to, who finished first, and who got the right | |
| answer. I also remember being told stories about borrowing eggs | |
| from the teacher next door, and apparently that had something | |
| to do with subtraction, but at the time, I was pretty confused. | |
| But I figured my college classes would clear all of that up for | |
| me. | |
| What I did not know then was that much has changed since I | |
| was in elementary school. Research now tells us that students | |
| learn best when given time and opportunities to construct their | |
| own understanding of concepts with invented procedures leading | |
| to deeper understanding rather than imitating a procedure | |
| demonstrated by a teacher. | |
| One might expect that my college course work provided | |
| opportunities for me to review and consider current research | |
| about teaching. Unfortunately, this was not the case. However, | |
| I was lucky enough to be influenced very early in my career by | |
| a truly masterful teacher. | |
| As a pre-service teacher, I was assigned to spend two days | |
| per week in Mr. Wong's third grade classroom. I was told that | |
| this teacher was an excellent math teacher, and I thought, | |
| ``Oh, good. This is where I will learn how to tell the egg | |
| story and how to explain multiplication clearly so kids don't | |
| forget which number to put on top,'' but I wasn't prepared for | |
| what I experienced in this classroom. | |
| First of all, I never heard Mr. Wong telling anyone how to | |
| do anything. The students were doing all of the talking. They | |
| discussed and debated mathematical ideas. They used models and | |
| manipulatives to explain their thinking. They asked themselves | |
| and each other questions. Wrong answers were made public and | |
| used as sites for learning. I was amazed by the conversations | |
| kids were having. Well, I decided rather quickly that borrowing | |
| eggs did not matter. I wanted to know how to get my students to | |
| talk and think like Mr. Wong's students. | |
| The time I spent in that classroom helped me to re-invent | |
| my idea of what learning looks like. I learned that kids can do | |
| amazing things as long as the teacher has some things in place. | |
| Teachers need to create a culture of collaborative inquiry, | |
| where students trust themselves and each other to make sense of | |
| important ideas. Teachers and students must learn to honor | |
| disequilibrium as an intricate part of learning. Teachers must | |
| present children with engaging, non-routine tasks, while asking | |
| questions that help misconceptions to surface, rather than | |
| ``explaining away'' any misunderstanding. | |
| [The prepared statement of Ms. Barnes follows:] | |
| Prepared Statement of Cassandra Barnes | |
| Good morning Committee Members and esteemed colleagues. My name is | |
| Cassandra Barnes and I teach second grade in Milwaukie, Oregon. I have | |
| been teaching for 12 years in North Clackamas School District, which | |
| serves suburban students just outside Portland. I would like to take | |
| this opportunity to speak to you about what has made a difference in my | |
| continued professional development as a teacher, which in turn makes a | |
| difference for my students. | |
| When I began teaching, an experienced colleague and I attended a | |
| typical one-day workshop designed to give teachers ideas to take back | |
| to their classrooms. At the end of the day, I was bored stiff and | |
| regretting the $200 I had spent to attend the conference. I complained | |
| to my colleague, who responded, ``Well, I figure if I walk away with | |
| one good idea to take back to the classroom, it was worth it.'' I | |
| thought about that comment many times. Honestly, my first thought was, | |
| ``Oh. Okay. I didn't realize that that was how it was supposed to | |
| work.'' The more I thought about it, the less sense it made. Would it | |
| be reasonable for me to teach for an entire day with a goal of each | |
| child taking away one small thing? No. Additionally, the format of | |
| presentations such as the one I had attended did not fit with what I | |
| believe about how we learn. Most of these one-day workshops consisted | |
| of ``expert'' teachers telling us how they did what they did. As | |
| attendees, we were not required to think, discuss, or apply any of the | |
| content. I was definitely not an engaged learner. | |
| Twelve years and numerous professional development opportunities | |
| later, I consider myself an informed consumer. I now have expectations | |
| of my continuing education course work. I expect professional | |
| development opportunities to challenge my thinking, require me to | |
| reflect deeply on my practice, and above all, result in improved | |
| learning for my students. These things do not happen in a fun, easy, | |
| six-hour workshop. | |
| Effective professional development for teachers, much like deep | |
| learning of content for school children, takes time. It must be long- | |
| term, with opportunities to apply new learning in the classroom and | |
| then reflect on the impact with colleagues. It involves planning, | |
| implementing, and reflecting on student outcomes with peers, asking | |
| ourselves and each other, ``Why didn't that work? What do I need to | |
| change? What student-based evidence can I use as data to support my | |
| conclusions?'' | |
| For elementary math teachers, professional development might be | |
| additional college level course work in mathematics, taught by | |
| professors implementing teaching practices such as those outlined by | |
| the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Many of us were taught | |
| mathematics in much the same way as the early workshops I attended were | |
| taught. An expert told us what and how to think, and we were to go do | |
| just that. Many teachers are now aware that we need to re-learn | |
| mathematics the way our students are learning mathematics. Constructing | |
| models, testing conjectures, and discussing our ideas. Deepening our | |
| own understanding of the mathematics we teach will allow us to better | |
| meet the needs of our students. | |
| Supporting the professional development of pre-service and in- | |
| service teachers is crucial. I believe in high standards for all | |
| students. I believe all children can learn mathematics with | |
| understanding. I believe that the National Science Foundation funded, | |
| standards-based curricula are improving math education for students | |
| across the country. However, I know that the difference for kids lies | |
| in the hearts and minds of the teachers who implement the curricula and | |
| standards. If the Federal Government wants to take steps to improve | |
| math and science education for our children, they need to focus energy | |
| and resources on providing high quality professional development for | |
| our teachers. | |
| In addition to participating in practiced based professional | |
| development opportunities, something that has made a difference for | |
| both me and my students is the modeling provided by mentor teachers. | |
| When I began teacher preparation course work, I already had schema | |
| in place for what this job of teaching is all about. As a student, I | |
| had already spent years learning what teachers and students did. My | |
| early memories of mathematics in an elementary school classroom were of | |
| doing multiplication problems on the chalkboard. There was a winner in | |
| this exercise. The winner was the person who solved the problem exactly | |
| like the teacher told her to, who finished first, and who got the right | |
| answer. I also remember being told stories about borrowing eggs from | |
| the teacher next door. Apparently that had something to do with | |
| subtraction, but at the time I was pretty confused. I figured my | |
| college classes would clear all that up for me. | |
| What I did not know then was that much has changed since I was in | |
| elementary school. Research now tells us that students learn best when | |
| given time and opportunities to construct their own understanding of | |
| concepts, with invented procedures leading to deeper understanding, | |
| rather than imitating a procedure demonstrated by a teacher. | |
| One might expect that my college course work provided opportunities | |
| for me to review and consider current research about teaching. | |
| Unfortunately, this was not the case. However, I was lucky enough to be | |
| influenced very early in my career by a truly masterful teacher. | |
| As a pre-service teacher I was assigned to spend two days per week | |
| in Mr. Wong's third grade classroom. I was told that this teacher was | |
| known to be an excellent math teacher. ``Oh good, I thought, this is | |
| where I will learn how to tell the egg story and how to explain | |
| multiplication to kids so clearly that they won't forget which number | |
| to put up top.'' I was not prepared for what I experienced in this | |
| classroom. | |
| First of all, I never heard Mr. Wong telling anyone how to do | |
| anything. The students were doing all of the talking. They discussed | |
| and debated mathematical ideas. They used models and manipulatives to | |
| explain their thinking. They asked themselves and each other questions. | |
| Wrong answers were made public and used as sites for learning. I was | |
| amazed by the conversations the children were having. I decided rather | |
| quickly that borrowing eggs did not matter. I wanted to know how to get | |
| my students to talk and think like Mr. Wong's students. | |
| The time I spent in that classroom helped me to re-invent my idea | |
| of what learning looks like. I learned that kids can do amazing things, | |
| as long as the teacher has some things in place. Teachers need to | |
| create a culture of collaborative inquiry, where students trust | |
| themselves and each other to make sense of important ideas. Teachers | |
| and students must learn to honor disequilibrium as an integral part of | |
| learning. Teachers must present children with engaging, non-routine | |
| tasks, while asking questions that help misconceptions to surface, | |
| rather than ``explaining away'' any misunderstanding. | |
| Not every pre-service teacher has an opportunity to spend time in | |
| such a classroom. In my opinion, my experiences in Mr. Wong's classroom | |
| were pivotal. I had a picture of what was possible for my students. It | |
| soon became clear to me that the role of models and mentors in the | |
| training of pre-service teachers could influence the beliefs and | |
| practices of new teachers in a way that college course work could never | |
| do. | |
| I have been blessed to benefit from high quality professional | |
| development and mentoring relationships that have helped me to define | |
| what I believe is best for children. My experiences have convinced me | |
| that if we want to support our school children and help them to | |
| achieve, we need to support our teachers. | |
| <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT> | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much. | |
| Ms. Sanderson. | |
| STATEMENT OF MS. LONNA SANDERSON, WILL DAVIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, | |
| AUSTIN, TEXAS | |
| Ms. Sanderson. Thank you all for the opportunity to talk to | |
| you. We really appreciate it. | |
| Imagine that you are eight years old. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Can you get the microphone a little bit | |
| closer? | |
| Ms. Sanderson. Sure. | |
| Imagine that you are eight years old. You enter room 408 at | |
| Will Davis Elementary School in Austin, Texas for the first | |
| time. ``This is it. Projects. Hmm.'' You have heard that there | |
| are lots of projects in third grade, but what about science. | |
| Will there be science projects? There she is, the teacher. What | |
| is that she is wearing? A lab coat? There is writing all over | |
| it. Look, kids' handprints, kids' writing. What does it say on | |
| her sleeve? ``Science rules.'' | |
| Now, imagine you are that same third grader and it is May. | |
| You think back over your year of projects and learning, and | |
| here is what you remember. | |
| Your Invent Austin project. You noticed a problem. Perhaps | |
| your dad doesn't like to eat cereal from a box, because all of | |
| those broken bits and crumbs get soggy and really mess up his | |
| milk. Perhaps your parents have yelled at you when you wiped | |
| your ketchup-laden hands on the car seat while you were | |
| inhaling your fast food dinner on the way to soccer practice. | |
| You decided to invent something to solve your chosen problem. | |
| You did research to find out if there was already a solution to | |
| the problem. There wasn't. You made a model. It didn't quite | |
| work, so you made another, and maybe several more, until you | |
| finally had one that worked. A plastic cereal box with a sifter | |
| at the bottom and another section under it with a trapdoor to | |
| empty the crumbs. Now dad is happy. A ketchup pocket that is | |
| attached to the front of the fries container so all you have to | |
| do is squirt your ketchup into the pocket and dip your fries | |
| in, one at a time. Voila. No messy hands. You did market | |
| research to see if people would buy your invention and how much | |
| they would be willing to pay for it. You created an advertising | |
| plan. This whole time, you kept an inventor's log of all of | |
| your work. Finally, you wrote up your invention and drew a | |
| labeled diagram of it. You submitted it to be judged, and you | |
| won a medal. Was that your favorite project? Or was it another | |
| one? | |
| When learning about sound, you used drinking straws to make | |
| reed instruments. You devised a way to make the instruments | |
| play different pitches, but the hardest part was getting that | |
| reed to work when you blew on it. But you did it. And your | |
| teacher said you could take it out to recess to play it. Maybe | |
| all of that noise in the classroom was making her a little | |
| crazy, but, hey, it was all her idea to do this project. | |
| But don't forget about making that electromagnet. Who would | |
| have thought there could be so many ways to make it stronger? | |
| More winds of the wire, thicker wire, but would using a thicker | |
| core make it stronger? And then you used your electromagnet to | |
| make model telegraphs, and you sent messages from your group of | |
| students to another group. Now that was cool. | |
| Oh, what about those bean plants? We all thought that bean | |
| seeds would need soil, water, and light to sprout. Boy, were we | |
| wrong. They sprouted just fine in a covered container that had | |
| a wet coffee filter in it. Then that teacher asked us if we | |
| could continue to grow these bean seeds without soil. We said, | |
| ``No way.'' But she taught us about hydroponics, and then we | |
| put the plants in a hydroponics unit, and they grew, and they | |
| grew, and they bloomed, and they made beans. | |
| That is not all. Ouch. Those crayfish can pinch. But it | |
| doesn't hurt much. We observed them and learned all about their | |
| physical structures and adaptations. We watched them and wrote | |
| about their behaviors. Whoa. Look at that crayfish back up with | |
| its tail tucked under when we reached toward it. Was it trying | |
| to scare us off when it reared up with its pinchers spread | |
| whenever we came near? Yeah. That is one of its behavioral | |
| adaptations. Another time, we put two crayfish together to see | |
| what they would do. Oh, my goodness. That little one attacked | |
| the big one and pinched off its leg. ``But don't worry,'' our | |
| teacher said, ``it will grow a new one.'' | |
| Well, tomorrow is the big day, the day all partner groups | |
| show their PowerPoint shows about a planet to our parents. We | |
| learned a lot about each planet and the sun and about making | |
| presentations using PowerPoint, how to create a background, | |
| insert pictures from the Internet, how to add sounds, and how | |
| to use transitions discriminatingly, as our teacher suggested, | |
| so that our audiences wouldn't get dizzy watching fade-ins, | |
| box-outs, cover-downs, and all of those other ones in one show. | |
| But when she wasn't looking, we tried all of them. | |
| Ah, it has been quite a year. Yes, there really were lots | |
| of projects in third grade, and boy oh boy, science really | |
| rules. | |
| Now, this picture of third grade science is quite different | |
| from what I experienced when I was in third grade long ago. But | |
| it is also quite different from what my students' parents | |
| experienced not so long ago. Why is third grade science not | |
| taught by just reading a textbook? Because students learn | |
| science by doing science, just as real-world scientists do. How | |
| is it possible to have this kind of science teaching and | |
| learning? | |
| Give teachers the science equipment and supplies they need, | |
| give them and students access to technology, preferably in | |
| their classrooms and in a computer lab, and give teachers the | |
| training they need to learn how to teach science. | |
| In my school district, we have a dual science adoption, a | |
| textbook and kit-based units. We have a science resource center | |
| where the kits are housed, refilled with supplies after each | |
| use, and then delivered to schools on a schedule. We use our | |
| textbooks to supplement our learning and to learn about topics | |
| that aren't in our kits, such as the planets. My district also | |
| subscribes to a video-on-demand service, so that when my | |
| students read about the characteristics of the sun, I can pause | |
| during the reading lesson and show a two-minute video clip | |
| about sun flares, sunspots, and prominences. I have four | |
| computers in my classroom for students to use, and we also can | |
| use our computer lab when we all need to do research or prepare | |
| presentations. Teachers in my district are required to take | |
| training on all of the kits we teach. During these training | |
| sessions, we participate in many of the activities that we will | |
| use with our students, and we learn important tips, such as how | |
| to pick up a crayfish without getting pinched. Teachers also | |
| have access to many technology training sessions ranging from | |
| learning the operating system of our computers to using | |
| programs such as Inspiration and PowerPoint. Because of these | |
| advantages, I am able to successfully teach science and to | |
| guide my students further along the path of inquiry. After all, | |
| in third grade, science rules. | |
| [The prepared statement of Ms. Sanderson follows:] | |
| Prepared Statement of Lonna Sanderson | |
| Imagine that you're eight years old. You enter room 408 at Will | |
| Davis Elementary School in Austin, Texas for the first time. This is | |
| it! Third grade! Projects. Hmmm. You've heard that there are lots of | |
| projects in third grade. But, what about science? Will there be science | |
| projects? There she is, the teacher. What's that she's wearing? A LAB | |
| coat? There's writing all over it! Look, kids' handprints, kids' | |
| writing. What does it say on her sleeve? ``Science rules!'' | |
| Now, imagine that you're that same third grader and it's May. You | |
| think back over your year of projects and learning. Here's what you | |
| remember: | |
| Your Invent Austin project. You noticed a problem. Perhaps your dad | |
| doesn't like to eat cereal from a box because all those broken bits and | |
| crumbs get soggy and really mess up his milk. Perhaps your parents have | |
| yelled at you when you wiped your ketchup-laden hands on the car seat | |
| when you were inhaling your fast food dinner on the way to soccer | |
| practice. You decided to invent something to solve your chosen problem. | |
| You did research to find out if there was already a solution to the | |
| problem. There wasn't. You made a model. It didn't quite work, so you | |
| made another, and maybe several more until you finally had one that | |
| worked! A plastic cereal box with a built in sifter at the bottom and | |
| another section under it with a trap door to empty the crumbs. Now Dad | |
| is happy! A ketchup pocket that is attached to the front of the fries | |
| container so all you have to do is squirt your ketchup into the pocket | |
| and dip your fries in one at a time. Voila! No messy hands! You did | |
| market surveys to see if people would buy your invention and how much | |
| they would be willing to pay for it. You created an advertising plan. | |
| This whole time, you kept an inventor's log of all your work. Finally, | |
| you wrote up your invention and drew a labeled diagram of it. You | |
| submitted it to be judged and won a medal. Was that your favorite | |
| project? Or was it another one? | |
| When learning about sound, you used drinking straws to make reed | |
| instruments. You devised a way to make the instruments play different | |
| pitches. But the hardest part was getting that reed to work when you | |
| blew on it! But, you did it. . .and your teacher said you could take it | |
| outside at recess to play it. Maybe all that noise in the classroom was | |
| making her a little crazy, but, hey, it was all her idea to do this | |
| project! | |
| But don't forget about making that electromagnet! Who would have | |
| thought there could be so many ways to make it stronger. . .more winds | |
| of the wire, thicker wire, but would using a thicker core make it | |
| stronger? And then, you used your electromagnet to make a model | |
| telegraph and sent messages from your group of students to another | |
| group. That was cool! | |
| Oh. What about those bean plants? We all thought that bean seeds | |
| would need soil, water, and light to sprout! Boy, were we wrong! They | |
| sprouted just fine in a covered container that had a wet coffee filter | |
| in it. Then, that teacher asked us if we could continue to grow these | |
| bean plants without soil. We said, ``No way!'' But she taught us about | |
| hydroponics, and we put the plants in a hydroponics unit, and they | |
| grew, and grew, and bloomed, and made beans! | |
| But that's not all! Ouch. Those crayfish can pinch! But it doesn't | |
| hurt much. We observed them and learned all about their physical | |
| structures and adaptations. We watched them and wrote about their | |
| behaviors. Whoa. Look at that crayfish back up with its tail tucked | |
| under when we reach toward it. Was it trying to scare us off when it | |
| reared up with its pincers spread whenever we came near? Yep. That is | |
| one of its behavioral adaptations. Another time we put two crayfish | |
| together to see what they would do. Oh, my goodness! That little one | |
| attacked the big one and bit off its leg! ``But don't worry,'' our | |
| teacher said. ``It will grow a new one.'' | |
| Well, tomorrow's the big day, the day all partner groups show their | |
| PowerPoint shows about a planet to our parents. We learned a lot about | |
| each planet and the sun, and about making presentations using | |
| PowerPoint--how to create a background, insert pictures from the | |
| Internet, how to add sounds, and how to ``use transitions | |
| discriminatingly'' as our teacher suggested so that our audiences | |
| wouldn't get dizzy watching fade-ins, box-outs, cover-downs, and all | |
| those other ones in one show. (But, when she wasn't looking, we tried | |
| them all!) | |
| Ah, it's been quite a year. Yes, there were lots of projects in | |
| third grade. And, boy oh boy, ``Science REALLY Rules!'' | |
| Now, this picture of third grade science is quite different from | |
| what I experienced when I was in third grade, long ago. But it's also | |
| quite different from what my students' parents experienced not so long | |
| ago. Why is third grade science not taught by just reading a textbook? | |
| Because students learn science by doing science, just as real world | |
| scientists do. How is it possible to have this kind of science teaching | |
| and learning? | |
| Give teachers the science equipment and supplies they need, give | |
| them and students access to technology, preferably in their classrooms | |
| AND in a lab, and give teachers the training they need to learn how to | |
| teach science. | |
| In my school district, we have a dual science adoption, a textbook | |
| and kit-based units. We have a science resource center where the kits | |
| are housed, refilled with supplies after each use, and then delivered | |
| to schools on a schedule. We use our textbooks to supplement our | |
| learning and to learn about topics that aren't in our kits, such as the | |
| planets. My district also subscribes to a video-on-demand service so | |
| that when my students read about the characteristics of the sun, I can | |
| pause during the reading lesson and show a two-minute video clip about | |
| sun flares, sunspots, and prominences. I have four computers in my | |
| classroom for students to use and we also can use our computer lab when | |
| we all need to do research or prepare presentations. Teachers in my | |
| district are required to take training on all the kits we teach. During | |
| these training sessions, we participate in many of the activities we | |
| will use with our students and learn important tips, such as how to | |
| pick up a crayfish without getting pinched! Teachers also have access | |
| to many technology training sessions ranging from learning the | |
| operating system of our computers to using such programs as Inspiration | |
| and PowerPoint. Because of these advantages, I am able to successfully | |
| teach science and to guide my students further along the path of | |
| inquiry. After all, in third grade, science rules. | |
| Biography for Lonna Sanderson | |
| I currently am a third grade teacher at Will Davis Elementary | |
| School in the Austin Independent School District. I teach all academic | |
| subjects to my students. (By far their favorite subject is science!) | |
| This is my fifth year at Davis, and it is my twenty-fifth in the Austin | |
| School District. I have also taught at Graham Elementary, where I | |
| taught sixth grade and fourth grade, at Rosedale Elementary, where I | |
| coordinated a Global Education Magnet Program, and at Winn Elementary, | |
| where I taught fourth grade. Prior to making my home in Austin, I | |
| taught in Winder, Georgia and Colbert, Georgia (both third grade); in | |
| Whitehall, Michigan (kindergarten and third grade); and in New | |
| Martinsville, West Virginia (Title I Math and sixth grade). | |
| I received my undergraduate degree in education from East Carolina | |
| University in Greenville, North Carolina in 1969 and my Master's degree | |
| in education from the University of Georgia in 1973. I became a | |
| National Board Certified Teacher in 2000. This was the greatest honor | |
| of my career--until I was named a Presidential Award for Excellence in | |
| Mathematics and Science Teaching Awardee! | |
| <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT> | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much. | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. | |
| STATEMENT OF MS. PITA MARTINEZ-McDONALD, CUBA ELEMENTARY | |
| SCHOOL, CUBA, NEW MEXICO | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. These are very hard acts to follow. | |
| Anyway, what I would like to do is paint a picture of my | |
| teaching and my students. | |
| I teach in Northwestern New Mexico, a rural area. My | |
| students are Navajo, Hispanic, and Anglo. And because our | |
| setting is bordering the Navajo checkerboard area where every | |
| other section of land is Navajo and private land, we have sort | |
| of a unique setting. My school district covers 1,800 square | |
| miles. Many of my students travel two hours on the bus one way. | |
| That is K-12. Often, because our school district has the only | |
| high school in the area, what families tend to do is they--high | |
| school students have to go to the Cuba schools, but middle | |
| school and elementary students can go to Bureau of Indian | |
| Affairs (BIA) schools. But since parents have a choice, | |
| students tend to school hop. So we have students that attend | |
| our school for first to second grade. They go back to the BIA | |
| schools. They come back to us. If they get in trouble, they | |
| change from school to school. Paperwork often doesn't follow | |
| them until the middle of the year. Perhaps you might have no | |
| background information on a student. So we have a lot of | |
| diverse problems that we have to deal with every day. | |
| Some of the things that have really improved my teaching | |
| and things that have helped me become a better teacher are RSI | |
| programs, Rural Systemic Initiative (RSI). The Northern Network | |
| of Rural Schools is a consortia of 27 school districts in the | |
| northern area. And they have supported us in offering | |
| professional development training. One thing that I think is | |
| very important and lacking in many elementary schools is that | |
| elementary teachers do not see themselves as teachers of | |
| science and math. They see themselves as teachers of reading. | |
| And until we get over that hump of teaching everything, we need | |
| to integrate literacy into science and math. We need to choose | |
| textbooks very, very carefully so that we are addressing the | |
| needs of students. | |
| Another activity besides the RSI is in 1981, the New Mexico | |
| Museum of Natural History and Science was participating, and I | |
| believe it was an NSF-funded grant to strengthen rural science | |
| education. And as part of that program, they came into our | |
| schools and several schools within the rural areas and truly | |
| worked with us and found the needs that we had. It was a | |
| sustained effort. My colleagues talked about one-day workshops. | |
| I think these--what we are calling now are drive-by workshops | |
| are not the answer to improve education in the classroom. We | |
| need sustained efforts, follow up. We need teachers gaining | |
| content in math and science so that they can have confidence in | |
| what they are teaching to their students. I think so often that | |
| teachers not only feel that they don't know enough science and | |
| math to go beyond the textbook, that they really don't know to | |
| go beyond the textbook. We focus on reading. Reading is | |
| everything, and it is everything, but we really have to see | |
| ourselves as teachers of science. | |
| One of the questions that was given to us before our | |
| hearing is what is the biggest impediment that I see to my | |
| teaching in education. And one of them--I mean, I think the | |
| main thing is poverty. The students that I teach, for the most | |
| part, are 99 percent free and reduced lunch. My students are | |
| ELL, English language learners. They have languages other than | |
| English in the home. And even students that have English as | |
| their only language, on our tests that we give them, they are | |
| not even proficient in English. | |
| Each day, I try to choose lessons that hook into culture | |
| and into the lives of my students so that I can use that as the | |
| support to help them unravel the tangle of life that they see | |
| before them and they don't understand. In your packets, I | |
| believe you got an article about one of the communities that | |
| buses their children into the Cuba schools that just received | |
| water, not water in the homes, but a central location where | |
| they, the families, can go and get water and then bring it to | |
| their home. I mean, these are daily struggles that my children | |
| deal with, not all of them, but enough, probably one-third. And | |
| they often go home to no electricity. How can a student do | |
| homework if there is no electricity? | |
| I think that when we think about our students and how we | |
| can improve what we do for them, we have got to see where they | |
| live. I think that immigrants that come to America have the | |
| American dream. They know that they can go out and make a | |
| better life for themselves and their families, but students of | |
| poverty who live in America have lost the American dream. I | |
| think that through using math and science that we can use that | |
| as a hook to give them that dream back. | |
| Thank you. | |
| Biography for Pita Martinez-McDonald | |
| <bullet> 1973--BA, University of New Mexico | |
| <bullet> 1981--MA, Antioch University | |
| Teaching | |
| <bullet> 31 years teaching Cuba Independent Schools, Cuba New | |
| Mexico. Grades 3, 4, 5 and multi-age 3/4/5 class and 4/5 class. | |
| Other | |
| <bullet> Lead consultant, Northern New Mexico Network for | |
| Rural Education-Rural Systemic Initiative Ghost Ranch Teacher | |
| Institute (I set up a week long science professional | |
| development workshop for K-8 grade teachers. This workshop | |
| provides teachers with content knowledge and hands-on | |
| activities to strengthen science teaching.) | |
| <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT> | |
| Discussion | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much. Thank all of you. | |
| The Chair recognizes the distinguished Chairman of the | |
| Subcommittee on Research, Mr. Inglis. | |
| Now let me explain. He was not tardy. This is an excused | |
| absence, because he was down at the White House in an important | |
| meeting, and he got up here as soon as he could. | |
| The Chair recognizes him. | |
| Mr. Inglis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for the | |
| excused absence, too. That is very helpful. With these teachers | |
| here, I would be worried, otherwise I would be marked on my | |
| progress report. | |
| It is wonderful to be here and to welcome and celebrate the | |
| work of these teachers. You will understand, Mr. Chairman, why | |
| I am particularly excited to welcome Joyce Dodd from Bryson | |
| Middle School in Simpsonville, South Carolina. It is wonderful | |
| to have you here. We are very proud of you and very thankful | |
| for the work that you do with our middle school students. | |
| And there is a facility not far from Bryson Middle School | |
| in Greenville County that is the General Electric turbine plant | |
| that employs about 2,600 people, 1,000 of them are engineers. | |
| They have a wonderful technology--a number of technologies, but | |
| one of them involves coal gasification and the ability to take | |
| pollutants out of the coal before it is burned in their | |
| turbines. | |
| The reason I mention that is I was visiting there recently, | |
| and I asked one of the executives if they had enough engineers. | |
| And he said, ``No. We could hire 300 more if we could just get | |
| them.'' Now what that tells me is we have got a challenge. And | |
| the solution is sitting before us: people who can inspire and | |
| make science and math real to students. I am a lawyer, and one | |
| of the things about legal education that makes it a little bit | |
| easier is that it is--there are always stories. In a good law | |
| school, the first thing you do is start reading cases, and a | |
| case is a story. It tells about a person and what happened to | |
| them and then how the law resolved their problem. | |
| One of the challenges, seems to me, about math and science | |
| is making it real. And so the teachers that are sitting before | |
| us are people who have the passion for making it real. And when | |
| you make it real and relevant, you make it so people want to | |
| learn, and students get the passion for math and science. | |
| It is important to note that General Electric is not alone. | |
| The Department of Labor estimates there will be six million job | |
| openings for scientists, engineers, and mathematicians by 2008. | |
| Sixty percent of the new jobs will require a solid mathematical | |
| background. And of course, we have got a significant automotive | |
| cluster in our district, and when you think about it, the work | |
| on the car, even the auto mechanics, will need to be able to | |
| read graphs, understand the timing diagrams, and to set and to | |
| reset microprocessors. All of that involves the work that you | |
| are preparing your students to do. | |
| Of course, the challenge, as we know on this committee, is | |
| that we are not exactly on the path to filling those six | |
| million jobs I just mentioned. We are only producing 60,000 | |
| engineers per year compared to over a half a million per year | |
| in China and India. That is a challenge for us. And I think it | |
| is worth celebrating what you are doing, because I really do | |
| believe that you are the solution to this, our challenge of | |
| meeting the need for people prepared for math and science. And | |
| so I am happy to join my colleagues in congratulating you. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much. I do appreciate | |
| that. | |
| You are all experienced. You all are professionals in this. | |
| And Ms. Barnes, you mentioned in your testimony that you need | |
| engaged learners. I hope you sensed that we are engaged | |
| learners up here, because I have watched my colleagues, and I | |
| have had a lot of experience in this business. And I will tell | |
| you, whether they are Nobel laureates or people from the | |
| business world or high-level officials from the Administration, | |
| more often than not, if I sort of glance left and right, I see | |
| colleagues reading something or checking their blackberries or | |
| something, it is not because they are not really paying | |
| attention or interested in the subject matter, it is just that | |
| there are a lot of things on their docket. I have looked left | |
| and right and you have got us in the palm of your hand. Thank | |
| you for doing an outstanding job. | |
| Ms. Dodd, you were the first to have mentioned, but several | |
| others mentioned, the National Council of Teachers of | |
| Mathematics. Is that something that everyone belongs to | |
| teaching math? | |
| Ms. Dodd. Unfortunately, it is not. One of the reasons is | |
| the membership costs. And it is unfathomable to me why $78 | |
| would stand in your way of joining such a valuable | |
| organization, but at our school, I know--we have 12 math | |
| teachers, and I know that we don't have too many members. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Well, you know, I had previous history | |
| in the real world out there in the business community, and if | |
| something was considered important to my job, I put it on my | |
| expense account. | |
| Ms. Dodd. I don't have one. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. No, no, no. But what I am suggesting is | |
| more and more we have got to think about all of the additional | |
| costs for teachers. And you know, we have, for the first time, | |
| a tax deductibility for $500 I think it is out of out-of-pocket | |
| expenses of teachers. What is it? $250? Well, it should be | |
| $500. All in favor, say aye. Aye. It passes. But $250. It is | |
| the first time ever. It is recognition that--every educator | |
| that I have talked with tells me, but particularly elementary | |
| and secondary education, because the universities, they do much | |
| better by the faculty. But they say they have a lot of out-of- | |
| pocket expenses, whether it is first or second grade buying | |
| construction paper, you name it. And so this is something we | |
| could do. Is--would you be--would that be an eligible item on | |
| the deductibility or the--all right. Good. So maybe you better | |
| share that with your colleagues. I can guarantee you we will | |
| work up to $250. But---- | |
| Ms. Dodd. Well, let me mention this. It is a little--I | |
| think it is relevant. I am the mother of a prospective first | |
| grade teacher, and she was home over spring break, and I took | |
| her to the teacher supply store in Greenville. We were there | |
| about two hours, and my out-of-pocket expense for her classroom | |
| was about $350 just for the supplies in her hands that she | |
| needed to teach her students. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. I know, and I mean, it just--a lot of my | |
| best friends are teachers. But they tell me this all of the | |
| time. And so I mean, I am always asking questions, and then I | |
| play the student and try to learn from that and try to | |
| translate that into some meaningful action here in Washington. | |
| And I might say that we are all partners in this endeavor. You | |
| don't have an opponent of that tax provision up here, and we | |
| are all of the same mind. We want to increase it, and I pledge | |
| to you and all of your fellow educators that we will continue | |
| that effort. | |
| I am just curious, Ms. Martinez-McDonald, two hours on a | |
| bus. And in rural America, that is on the long end, but I mean, | |
| kids are spending a lot of time on buses coming and going. Is | |
| that productive time, and is there any way that educators are | |
| thinking about--I am not trying to add to your burden, but how | |
| do you use that time most effectively? | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. It is definitely not a productive | |
| time. In fact, we have kindergarten students riding on buses | |
| with high school students, who are not modeling good behavior. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. I understand. | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. A lot of the travel is on dirt | |
| roads. I mean, I had one of my students that comes from this | |
| community that just got water, and she said, ``We are late | |
| today because we got stuck in the mud, and we all got to get | |
| out and push.'' And I think about my own children getting out | |
| of the bus and pushing it. And you know, she was thrilled. They | |
| were happy. Everybody was fine. But I don't think people really | |
| understand what some of these rural communities are dealing | |
| with. How can these students come to school and think about | |
| school when they are dealing with so much in their own lives? | |
| It is hard to get above and beyond that. | |
| We have, as a district, in the past, some of the wacky | |
| ideas that we have come up with was perhaps getting, like, big | |
| buses that have pull-down computers, so that they could access | |
| lessons or information on the Internet. We, at one point--I | |
| don't know that it was ever instigated, but they were talking | |
| about adding TVs to all of the buses so that they could have | |
| distance learning. But then what level do you target? How do | |
| you--who maintains that? Who produces the productions for the | |
| kids to watch? | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. I mean, it was--it is just so many | |
| different facets that---- | |
| Chairman Boehlert. I would imagine in your situation a high | |
| percentage of those students are eligible for the school lunch | |
| and school breakfast program. | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. Ninety-nine percent free and | |
| reduced. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Is that a possibility to productively | |
| use that time to start on the bus with the breakfast or | |
| something? Or when they get to school, do they---- | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. They come from such a diverse---- | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Yeah. | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald.--setting, and what most of our | |
| students do is they walk sometimes a mile or two miles to the | |
| bus stop. They get one bus that takes that group of children to | |
| another bus stop. Then they---- | |
| Chairman Boehlert. To a hub. | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald.--get on--yeah, to a hub, | |
| essentially. Then they move to the hub and then come into | |
| school. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Well, they better get used to it at this | |
| age, because we are all going to hubs for one---- | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. Right. | |
| Chairman Boehlert.--place or another. | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. Right. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Yeah. | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. Right. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. But boy, we can't really come to | |
| appreciate the great challenge faced by an educator in your | |
| circumstances. | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. Well, another---- | |
| Chairman Boehlert. The kids are tired by the time they get | |
| to school. | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. Exactly. And we have huge issues | |
| with attendance. How do you get kids--I mean, how do we get our | |
| kids to school? | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Yeah, well, it is a---- | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. I mean, if it is four o'clock in the | |
| morning, you are getting up out of bed. You are riding your | |
| bus. And then it doesn't make it to school because of the mud | |
| or the road conditions. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Well---- | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. You know, all of that effort is | |
| wasted. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. The red light is on for me, too, and I | |
| follow it as well as I ask my colleagues to follow it as well | |
| as we ask the witnesses to follow it. | |
| Let me congratulate you all for the nice manner in which | |
| you have summarized your statements. I mean, you each had five | |
| minutes and you have stuck pretty close to it. So I appreciate | |
| that. | |
| Let me give a tip before I go to Mr. Gordon. | |
| Take this down. There is a website that I will invite you | |
| to go to. It is www.baseballhalloffame.org. And the reason that | |
| I mentioned this at the breakfast meeting, the baseball hall of | |
| fame, I have--which is in my Congressional District, and it is | |
| part of my passion for life, baseball, but they--I had helped | |
| them secure funding for a long-distance learning program using | |
| the Internet creatively. And you know, baseball is a game | |
| where, if you are really a fan, you are a stats freak. You want | |
| to know batting averages and everything else, and you want | |
| comparisons. And the baseball hall of fame devises a very | |
| creative program that is available on the Internet, and it | |
| might be a source for all of you in the classroom to just take | |
| a look at it and see if it is worthwhile to add to your | |
| curricula, because, you know, some third graders say, ``Boy, I | |
| know my favorite player is batting .328.'' You know, how did he | |
| find that out? You know. | |
| Well, use it. | |
| Mr. Gordon. | |
| Mr. Gordon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | |
| And I also want to thank the witnesses for those very good | |
| statements. | |
| And I would like to ask if any of you have used any | |
| materials in developing a lesson plan that you received from | |
| any federal agency, like the National Science Foundation or | |
| NASA. And if so, how did you learn about it, and how helpful | |
| was it? | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. Recently, I have been teaching an | |
| astronomy space science course, and I have used a lot of the | |
| NASA online materials and downloadable materials. They have | |
| been invaluable. They have given me resources that I wouldn't | |
| have access to in the first place. And then we have also used | |
| our--we recently used DTT monies to buy a portable lab for our | |
| classroom so that students could get on the incredible NASA | |
| site and access the information and their links about the | |
| universe, and they were all able to create what we call | |
| ``webbie books'' and download pictures and information from-- | |
| that we--from the NASA site and other sites that they linked to | |
| their site. | |
| Mr. Gordon. Well, let me just ask the panel and also | |
| everyone in the back. Raise your hand if you have used, again, | |
| NASA or NSF for materials. And of those, has anyone--have they | |
| been helpful? Have they been beneficial? Okay. Well, let me | |
| make this recommendation. As I mentioned earlier, two things. | |
| One, everyone on this panel or this committee, on a bipartisan | |
| basis, is very supportive of the National Science Foundation | |
| and the K-12 math formula. You know, I am sure that the | |
| President is not anti-math and science, by any means, but they | |
| want to cut this program by half. And so I hope that when you | |
| are there at the White House today, again, they are not mean, | |
| ugly folks, but they probably just don't understand the | |
| importance and how helpful this has been. I hope that you will | |
| use this opportunity to convey that. | |
| Let me also say, as a father of an only child, four-year- | |
| old daughter, the motto around our house is that girls rule and | |
| boys drool. And what I would like to do is just take a quick | |
| moment, both personally and professionally, to get the panel's | |
| suggestions. I am sure you have been following the national | |
| discussion, I think it is more a discussion than a debate, as | |
| to women's aptitudes in science and math and the lack of women | |
| at the later stages in that field and also, maybe potentially a | |
| part of that is some reticence that we understand that girls | |
| have in class to ask questions, and all of that sort of thing. | |
| So one, I would like to see, you know--or just what are | |
| your thoughts about that, and both--what are you seeing and | |
| what do you think we should do about it? | |
| Ms. Dodd. I have to answer that one. | |
| I am the mother of a set of twins, a boy and a girl, who | |
| both excel in math and science. So I know that if there is any | |
| difference, it is cultural. It is--I don't think it exists. I | |
| noticed that in my math class, I don't see a difference between | |
| the girls and the boys. On the math team that we took to | |
| competition to Clemson, we had half girls and half boys that | |
| participated in that. So we had an even amount. Wasn't that | |
| your question? | |
| Mr. Gordon. Well, I am sorry. What I have seen or written | |
| on that area is some of the assumptions are that women--it is | |
| not a matter of not having the ability and that---- | |
| Ms. Dodd. Right. | |
| Mr. Gordon.--the top levels, you know, they are as good or | |
| better than any men. But you know, it is sort of a--it is a | |
| bell curve--not a bell curve. I guess it would be a U curve, in | |
| that there are, overall, not as many that are as interested. | |
| Again, are you finding that? Again, if you are not, that is | |
| great. And if you are, what do we need? How do we address it? | |
| Ms. Dodd. Again, I am saying I am not finding that. | |
| Mr. Gordon. Okay. | |
| Ms. Dodd. Our math council is sponsored by an engineering | |
| society. And it is a very challenging competition. We had as | |
| many girls as boys participating. | |
| Mr. Gordon. Good. Well, does anybody else have any--do you | |
| concur or have any different experiences or any suggestions? | |
| Cynthia? | |
| Ms. Cliche. I think you see that later. We are all | |
| elementary teachers, and I think at the elementary level, the | |
| boys and the girls, you know, they are--it is not that extra | |
| peer pressure. I think that comes in when they start hitting | |
| middle school and high school and all of a sudden, for some | |
| reason, it is our culture or society that there is different | |
| expectations for boys than girls. And I think that comes later | |
| in life. I don't feel like I see it as much in elementary | |
| school as I think if you asked someone in the high school | |
| level. I think they are going to see that more so at the junior | |
| high level. | |
| Mr. Gordon. Well, with the deficiencies that we have in | |
| mathematicians and engineers, we certainly can't waste, you | |
| know---- | |
| Ms. Cliche. And I--again, I think it is that--how are we | |
| treating them? You know. How is society perceiving, you know-- | |
| what--when you are looking at society, and you are looking at | |
| magazines, and you are looking at media, what are you seeing | |
| out there? Are you seeing girls portrayed as especially gifted | |
| in science and math? I am looking at my high school years, when | |
| I was in high school, and in our calculus class, there were two | |
| females, and the rest were males. You know, something happens | |
| there. I was never treated as if I were different. I was very | |
| fortunate. Either that, or I just didn't get it. One or the | |
| other. So--but something is happening there where the girls are | |
| getting the perception that there are other things more | |
| important, such as--and I don't want to, you know, stereotype | |
| anybody, but there are other things, once they get into high | |
| school, the dating and the boys and somehow it is--you know. I | |
| think that is where you are going to see it more. In elementary | |
| school, my children are gung ho. My girls and my boys. | |
| Mr. Gordon. If I could just finish up on that. | |
| Ms. Cliche. Okay. | |
| Mr. Gordon. In terms of what we can deal with, I guess, | |
| here, in the NSF and in the NASA materials, is it presented in | |
| a way that is, you know, neutral, or is it--should there be | |
| something to have women more out front or--I mean, is there | |
| anything within the NSF or NASA that we can do to create this | |
| more positive image? Or is it already there? Are you satisfied | |
| with it? You are satisfied with what is going on there? Okay. | |
| Thank you. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Thank you. | |
| And I would just point out a couple of things to the | |
| gentleman. And you need role models. I mean, if we are talking | |
| about--I am the father of three daughters and a son, but role | |
| models. I would point out, and I am sure you are not going to | |
| miss this opportunity, that when the Shuttle returns to flight, | |
| the Commander of that Shuttle is going to be Eileen Collins, | |
| the first time in history a woman commanded a Shuttle. She has | |
| piloted. The pilot is the number two person. The Commander runs | |
| the whole show. A graduate of a community college in upstate | |
| New York went on to the university and became a distinguished | |
| scientist and a distinguished military career, a colonel in the | |
| U.S. Air Force, and now she is one of the leading astronauts | |
| and will be commanding that Shuttle. | |
| And the second thing, all of the engineering societies | |
| report the same thing constantly, and boy it is music to our | |
| ears. On the one hand, the negative part is there is such a | |
| shortage. We need more. But on the positive side, more and more | |
| young women are looking at careers in engineering. And that is | |
| exciting, because there are wonderful opportunities out there. | |
| The Chair recognizes Mr. McCaul. | |
| Mr. McCaul. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | |
| Not to play one-upsmanship, but I am--I have four girls in | |
| my family, so the girls do rule in my house. There is no | |
| question about that. But I did get a tour of the Johnson Space | |
| Center last week, and it is phenomenal what they are doing out | |
| there. And I encourage you to--I was glad to see the showing of | |
| hands of all of you who utilize what they have to offer, | |
| including, I was told to get astronauts out to some of the | |
| schools to energize our young people to get involved in math | |
| and science. And I think any time you get an astronaut to come | |
| talk to your kids, that is going to be a home run. | |
| So I wanted to talk really briefly, in 1983, President | |
| Reagan appointed a Blue Panel Commission that released ``A | |
| Nation At Risk.'' In the report, it states, ``If an unfriendly, | |
| foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre | |
| education performance that exists today, we might well have | |
| viewed it as an act of war.'' And that was a fairly disturbing | |
| finding. I think we have made progress, but I think we can do a | |
| lot better. I would be interested to hear your input on how we | |
| can do better. | |
| But since Ms. Sanderson is a constituent of mine and | |
| supporter, I want to put her on the spot. As you know, in our | |
| hometown of Austin, we are very fortunate to have a lot of high | |
| tech in the area. We are the home of Dell Computers, Applied | |
| Materials. We have a presence there. And I was really intrigued | |
| by your innovative use of technology in the classroom. And I | |
| was hoping you could maybe elaborate on how you use the | |
| technology as a tool to get the children interested in | |
| learning, because as Mr. Inglis had talked about, when I talk | |
| to these high tech companies, they want to import more and more | |
| scientists. In fact, they asked us for 20,000 visas so we could | |
| import scientists from India and China. And it is just | |
| astounding to me that we can't do that in our own country. | |
| So maybe--I know it is a very broad question, but if you | |
| could elaborate on, perhaps, getting children interested in | |
| this area of technology. Were the jobs--you know, we have the | |
| jobs, but we just can't find the people in our own country to | |
| fill them. | |
| Ms. Sanderson. In my classroom, we use technology just as a | |
| tool. It is not ever used for entertainment, but you only use | |
| the computers when you need to use them. We use videos that | |
| enhance our learning, that teach something that we need to | |
| learn. And the students are free to use those pieces of | |
| technology whenever they need them. I mean, they don't even | |
| ask. They just get up and go use it, and they sometimes have to | |
| wait, because somebody else is on the computer, and you better | |
| not go to the bathroom, because you are going to lose your | |
| spot. | |
| But as far as getting them interested in jobs, third | |
| graders are already interested in all of those jobs. I don't | |
| know what the problem is in keeping their interest in those | |
| jobs. I don't know what we can do about that. | |
| Mr. McCaul. And that is what the report seemed to indicate, | |
| that the younger ages, they do quite well. It is when they get | |
| to K-12 is where you start to see the decline. | |
| Ms. Sanderson. All of the third grade girls and boys love | |
| science and math, and if they don't love math, I make them | |
| write ``I love math'' on their papers, because some of them | |
| have math phobia, and it is boys and girls. And if they have | |
| math phobia, by the time they leave my classroom, hopefully | |
| they love math, because they have written ``I love math'' all | |
| year. | |
| Mr. McCaul. And I guess to keeping their interest in the | |
| older years, I don't know what the answer, quite honestly, is | |
| to that. I know that, you know, a lot of the schools in our | |
| area are fortunate enough to get technology donated to the | |
| schools---- | |
| Ms. Sanderson. Right. | |
| Mr. McCaul.--and I don't know if that is true for the other | |
| teachers on the panel, but I think that does peak an interest | |
| as well. | |
| Are there any other comments on this issue? | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. I would like to add to that. | |
| I think it goes back to--I think all of the people in this | |
| room, science and math are foci for their classrooms. But I | |
| don't think, generally, in many classrooms, that that is the | |
| case. I think elementary teachers feel that they don't have | |
| enough background knowledge and content knowledge. And so many | |
| students get science, especially science, after everything else | |
| is done. They have done social studies. They have done | |
| everything else. And then, if they get an hour of science a | |
| week, I think that would be a regular occurrence in many | |
| classrooms. And I think that is where we need to give | |
| elementary teachers, especially, that background knowledge so | |
| that they feel confident so that we can get children involved | |
| in science all of the way through elementary schools, so that | |
| they, when they get to the middle schools and high schools, | |
| they feel confident that they have got the background that they | |
| need and then they can progress. It is not just catch-up. I | |
| think that is what many students are doing when they get to | |
| middle school and high school. They are going, ``Oh, I don't | |
| know this. I don't know that.'' And it is because they haven't | |
| had a good foundation in elementary school. | |
| Mr. McCaul. There is--it is not a priority on the | |
| curriculum, and the teachers don't have the right background. | |
| Is that what I am hearing? | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. Yeah. | |
| Ms. Sanderson. In Texas, that is not true. We give a | |
| science test in fifth grade now, so it is a big priority to | |
| teach science. And that is maybe one advantage of giving a | |
| state standard test in sciences that it makes it a focus for | |
| the school districts to make sure that all of the kids do learn | |
| it, because the test tests what they have been taught from | |
| second grade through fifth. So if the second grade teachers | |
| don't do their job, then the fifth grade students won't know | |
| what is on the test. | |
| Mr. McCaul. Well, that is good to hear. | |
| Ms. Sanderson. But--so, I mean, in spite of the | |
| disadvantages of having to give all of these tests, there are | |
| some possible advantages to them. | |
| Mr. McCaul. Yeah. | |
| Ms. Dodd. I would like to add that I think one place that | |
| we could impact a difference is in our teacher training | |
| programs. I think when we send our kids to college, and if they | |
| choose education, their math class and their science class | |
| should be compatible with that of math and science majors. It | |
| shouldn't be a special course, elementary ed., that if you | |
| change your mind you can't use that for anything. What does | |
| that tell us about the content of that course? And I think that | |
| is an easy fix, and I think we need to hold responsible for | |
| that. And I think that, oftentimes, elementary teachers feel | |
| they don't have the background when they, indeed, could have | |
| had the background. | |
| Mr. McCaul. Well, I see my time has expired, but I do want | |
| to thank the panel for everything you do and praise, you know, | |
| the work that you are doing. It is so important. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. I thank you. | |
| The Chair recognizes Ms. Hooley. | |
| Ms. Hooley. Thank you, Mr. Chair. | |
| I would like to also welcome Heather Combs from Oregon | |
| today. Again, congratulations to all of you. | |
| I want to start out with Ms. Barnes. You talked about Mr. | |
| Wong's classroom. And I would like to know, in the professional | |
| and development workshops and in-service training that you have | |
| participated in, what percentage is focused on this kind of | |
| collaborative learning that you experienced in Mr. Wong's | |
| classroom? | |
| Ms. Barnes. Well, I would say now that I am, you know, an | |
| informed consumer---- | |
| Ms. Hooley. Yeah. | |
| Ms. Barnes.--I won't stay in a professional development | |
| setting where it is not going to meet my needs. So the courses | |
| that I register for and stay for---- | |
| Ms. Hooley. Yeah. | |
| Ms. Barnes.--are classes where all of the teachers who are | |
| participating are actively engaged, and they are asking to | |
| reflect on their practice, and they are asking to--they are | |
| being asked to consider new research in education and how they | |
| can use that information to change learning for the students in | |
| their classrooms. | |
| I would say that, besides the fact that Mr. Wong painted a | |
| picture for me of what is possible for students---- | |
| Ms. Hooley. Yeah. | |
| Ms. Barnes.--he also gave me a lot of direction in what is | |
| high-quality professional development, how does that look, and | |
| how does that carry over into your practice. But it is | |
| something that--I just feel extremely fortunate that I was able | |
| to have this experience early on in my career, because I have | |
| many colleagues throughout my district and state that the first | |
| time they take a course like the ones I am talking about, they | |
| are just so energized and overwhelmed and saying, ``This is | |
| amazing. This is great. I have needed this for all of these | |
| years.'' There is just maybe not enough to go around. It is-- | |
| for the people who plan the professional development that | |
| works, it is hard work for those people, just like teaching the | |
| way that we believe is hard work for us. | |
| Ms. Hooley. But my question is, and any of the rest of you | |
| can answer this as well, how often do you find the in-service | |
| training or the professional development with that kind of | |
| energy and that actively engaged? I mean, are those hard to | |
| find or are those common anymore? | |
| Ms. Barnes. Yeah, I think if you know where to look, then | |
| you can find it. | |
| Ms. Hooley. Now wait a minute. If you know where to look, | |
| but if--I mean, if there is a list of things that a teacher can | |
| go to for in-service training or for professional development, | |
| how hard is it to find those really good professional | |
| development courses? | |
| Ms. Barnes. See, I guess I have learned to look at who the | |
| presenters are. You know, if it is a professional development | |
| opportunity that was developed by, you know, the EBC, or there | |
| is a local organization--non-profit organization, a couple in | |
| Portland, actually, that I know that if I take a course, it is | |
| going to be high quality. And there are some that I know I need | |
| to steer away from them. But I think when you are a beginning | |
| teacher, you need to have somebody tell you. | |
| Ms. Hooley. How would you know? Yeah. | |
| Ms. Barnes. You need to have a mentor to say, ``You know | |
| what? Don't spend your money there.'' | |
| Ms. Hooley. Okay. And then--and anyone else can talk about | |
| that that wants to, because I would really like to know how | |
| hard that is to find one of those classes. | |
| And the second question I have is, if there is one thing | |
| the Federal Government could do to particularly grade school | |
| teachers to get them excited about math and science and | |
| teaching math and science in their classroom--because I know a | |
| lot of teachers have a phobia against math and science--what | |
| would be the one thing we could do to entice teachers to be | |
| involved, grade school teachers, in math and science and to | |
| sort of get rid of that phobia? What would that be? | |
| Ms. Cliche. I guess I will answer. | |
| Ms. Hooley. Okay. | |
| Ms. Cliche. And I have been talking. It is great having so | |
| many colleagues around, so of course, knowing I was going to be | |
| here today and representing them, I did get a lot of input---- | |
| Ms. Hooley. Good. | |
| Ms. Cliche.--and I think I have gotten some input for that | |
| question. | |
| Ms. Hooley. Good. | |
| Ms. Cliche. One thing that we have kind of thought about is | |
| it would be great if we had a math and science specialist in | |
| each elementary school, because I think that is almost like | |
| having your professional development right there. I think, you | |
| know, when I started teaching, I almost felt isolated, that I | |
| was the only one that thought this way, that taught this way. | |
| And then, as I started branching out and meeting other | |
| colleagues that taught and thought that way, it really helped | |
| me. So if you have a math and science specialist, maybe, in the | |
| elementary school, not just at the county, because there are so | |
| many schools now in an area, that could come in and actually do | |
| some of the lessons and do some of the teaching and help you | |
| and find the professional development that you need that is | |
| important to you that you see. I think that would be a great | |
| step. | |
| Ms. Hooley. Okay. Any other comments? | |
| Ms. Sanderson. In our school district, we use | |
| investigations in data, time, and space, which is a pretty | |
| innovative math program, but we have used it for several years. | |
| And it was funded through a government grant. I am not sure if | |
| it was Eisenhower or NSF or--it is NSF? | |
| Ms. Hooley. NSF. | |
| Ms. Sanderson. And it was a--and part of the grant process | |
| was there had to be a professional development component. | |
| Therefore, every teacher in the district has to go through | |
| professional development to learn how to teach it. And then you | |
| become comfortable with teaching it, if you weren't comfortable | |
| with teaching math, other than through a textbook. So if the | |
| government requires, in all of its grants, that there be a | |
| professional development component and they actually have--they | |
| collect data on this professional development every time we | |
| have one. So I think that just requiring that makes sure that | |
| the districts then provide quality professional development to | |
| ensure that the teachers aren't phobic about it. And we have | |
| the same thing for our science. We are required to have science | |
| training before we can teach the kits. They won't even send the | |
| kits to our school until we have the training. | |
| Ms. Hooley. Thank you. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Thank you. | |
| The gentlelady's time has expired. | |
| The distinguished Vice Chairman of the Full Committee, Mr. | |
| Gutknecht. | |
| Mr. Gutknecht. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for | |
| having this hearing. I want to thank the panelists for being | |
| here today. I think this is an important hearing, and it is | |
| something that when you look at the test score numbers from | |
| around the world and you compare ours to international scores, | |
| this has probably already been mentioned, we do very well in | |
| the elementary grades. By eighth grade, we are starting to lose | |
| ground, and by the time they get to twelfth grade, American | |
| students score pretty poorly. And we still haven't really | |
| gotten our arms around why. | |
| I do, however, believe that success leaves clues. And if | |
| you look at what is happening at universities and in many | |
| communities every summer, there are baseball camps, there are | |
| basketball camps, and there are football camps. But I don't see | |
| enough science camps, and I don't see enough math camps. And I | |
| think there has to be a way that we can encourage our | |
| universities, encourage private enterprise, and frankly, with a | |
| little bit of help from the National Science Foundation and | |
| federal and state taxpayers' dollars, we ought to be able to | |
| encourage more of that. And that is just my editorial comment. | |
| And everywhere I--we are doing some of that in my district, but | |
| I must confess, not nearly enough. | |
| But the real question I wanted to get to is that we have-- | |
| for example in the town that I live in, Rochester, Minnesota, | |
| we have a very large number of people who have advanced degrees | |
| in math and science, and that is because we have a little | |
| medical practice that was started by two brothers by the name | |
| of Mayo, and we also have the top research facility for IBM. We | |
| built the world's fastest supercomputer now in Rochester, | |
| Minnesota. But several years ago, there was an outreach program | |
| to try and encourage more of these people with advanced degrees | |
| in math and science to serve either as mentors or some of them | |
| who had retired early or for one reason or another to be able | |
| to teach. And I will be diplomatic. The teachers unions took a | |
| somewhat dispassionate view of that whole idea. Now I know that | |
| there are several states that have alternative certification | |
| programs, and I would like, Ms. Dodd, for example, you started | |
| out, I think you said, teaching home economics, and you moved | |
| into math. How difficult was it for you to get recertified, | |
| because the problem is we have Ph.D.s in mathematics and they | |
| can't teach mathematics at the local high school? | |
| Ms. Dodd. I am glad you asked me that question. And that is | |
| probably one of the reasons I have pursued this particular | |
| nomination or award was because I wanted to validate my worth | |
| as a mathematics teacher. | |
| I was very lucky to be able--because I really, honestly, | |
| believe that being a teacher is essential, but I don't want to | |
| diminish the need for content. And I am a middle school | |
| teacher. I see myself more as a middle school teacher than an | |
| elementary teacher. This is one of the few times I am not with | |
| my buddies, the high school teachers. Normally, that is who I | |
| am with. And I think content is essential. But I think it is | |
| easier to teach a person content sometimes than it is to teach | |
| them how to teach. | |
| So I think that retooling and retraining existing teachers | |
| who desire to be in a mathematics classroom is a really good | |
| investment, and I have a national board in early adolescence | |
| mathematics, which requires content knowledge. And I absolutely | |
| do not want to diminish the necessity of content knowledge if | |
| you are going to teach mathematics. I have to know what comes | |
| after sixth grade math. It will affect how I teach math. | |
| Knowing my high school friends, knowing that it is more | |
| important that my kids understand fraction operations to be | |
| successful in algebra than it is integers was very helpful to | |
| me in preparing my children. My buddy on my team is a science | |
| teacher who was an engineer. So he is coming to our school from | |
| an alternative program, also. He is a dynamic teacher. He has | |
| the heart of an engineer, but the mind of a teacher. He | |
| sponsored a robotics club with our school, and we actually got | |
| to state competition. And so I absolutely welcome alternatives. | |
| I was accepted in the math community and given a chance to | |
| grow, and I think that, as teachers, we need to accept people | |
| from outside communities and give them a chance to grow. | |
| Mr. Gutknecht. Thank you. | |
| Ms. Dodd. So I agree with them. | |
| Mr. Gutknecht. Anybody else want to comment on that, on the | |
| ability of people from the outside to come in and be able to at | |
| least contribute? | |
| Ms. Martinez-McDonald. I would like to share an experience | |
| that I have had. New Mexico has various labs, and a few years | |
| back, all of the labs had what was called the Cyad program | |
| where they coupled scientists in the field and retired | |
| scientists with schools, and they came into our schools once or | |
| twice a month. They provided background knowledge and content | |
| as well as activities in the classroom and supported us. | |
| Unfortunately, the program was phased out, but I found that | |
| very helpful, because it was somebody that I knew I could call | |
| for support. They would be in the school. They got to learn | |
| kids. They realized that having the science had nothing to do | |
| with the teaching. And they provided the science that I lacked, | |
| so that I could do the teaching that---- | |
| Mr. Gutknecht. Thank you very much. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Thank you. | |
| Mr. Davis. | |
| Mr. Davis. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much, and Ranking | |
| Member, for having the hearing today and certainly the five | |
| panelists who have given great testimony and all of the members | |
| from throughout the different states that are here to join and | |
| participate in the activities you have had since Sunday, and I | |
| think will probably last through this coming Saturday. | |
| I grew up in a rural area. My first school was a one- | |
| teacher school where we walked. It started in 1948. As you look | |
| at the teaching in 1948, it was basically three ``R''s. I | |
| graduated from high school in 1962, and when I graduated from | |
| high school in 1962, I had heard a young man a year earlier, or | |
| a year and a half earlier, say, ``We will send a man to the | |
| moon and then safely return him by the end of this decade.'' | |
| And there was no science being taught about how we go to the | |
| Moon in 1962 or in 1948 when I started with school. We have | |
| seen a tremendous change and a huge amount of knowledge that | |
| has occurred since both my wife and I went to school at a place | |
| called York High School in Jamestown. It was built by a fellow | |
| by the name of Sergeant Alvin C. York from Pall Mall, where I | |
| currently live today and where I was born and raised. When he | |
| dedicated that school, he said, ``I dedicate this school to the | |
| children of Pall Mall, so they can enjoy the liberating | |
| influences of an education denied me in my youth.'' Liberating | |
| influences of an education that he was denied as he traveled | |
| throughout the world during World War I and became a great hero | |
| for America, a movie of which has been made of his life. We see | |
| in someone who had the vision to be sure that education became | |
| a part of our lives. | |
| I applaud each of you in this room for how you are | |
| imparting to our young individuals. I have--as my wife and I | |
| watched our children go to school, we realized how much more | |
| education and knowledge was available to be taught to them than | |
| she and I had obtained or were taught when we were going | |
| through school. We now watch our five grandchildren, of which | |
| four of those are in school, two in Murfreesboro, our oldest | |
| grandson, who will be 15 on August the 1st, is an eighth grade | |
| graduate there last year, and Alexa is still there at McFaden. | |
| But we see such a change in education and teachers so | |
| committed. My wife teaches second grade. She taught first grade | |
| for 14 years. My daughter, Lynn, teaches in the school systems | |
| in Bart Gordon's District. All of my children live in Bart | |
| Gordon's District for some reason. They can't vote for their | |
| daddy. And I have a son-in-law that teaches, and my oldest | |
| daughter actually teaches home-schoolers. But the two children | |
| I just mentioned go to public schools at McFaden and | |
| Murfreesboro. | |
| So there has been such a change from the three ``R''s to | |
| what we have today and the challenges that we have had. Growing | |
| up in a rural area, Ms. Martinez-McDonald, is a challenge. The | |
| bus left my home at six o'clock for the eight o'clock school. I | |
| was the first on the bus and my sisters and brothers were, | |
| because my mother and father had actually drove the bus. One of | |
| them would. Each morning, we would change at the elementary | |
| school and then go up the mountain to Jamestown. | |
| So as we look at trying to change or to improve how we | |
| teach our students and how we teach our young men and women, | |
| our young students, the children that we are teaching, I know | |
| that that is a tremendous challenge for you. Math and science | |
| was something that was always--it was--it seemed to be away | |
| from my grasp, but I always wanted to reach out and be a part | |
| of science and math. I applaud your efforts, how you impact the | |
| lives of future generations of this country. And I don't agree | |
| that America has got the worst education system in the world. | |
| We absolutely are the only Nation in the world that has the | |
| economic strength that we have and the military strength that | |
| we have. No nation can even equal us. And why? It is because of | |
| educators like you in this room and throughout our systems | |
| throughout the Nation. Oh, we can complain and we can talk | |
| about areas where we need to improve, and we should always | |
| strive to do that, but because of you, America is where it is | |
| today. | |
| I tell young students, when I visit them in schools, that | |
| you can have a Maserati, I don't know what that is. That is a | |
| fine car, they say, or you can have the biggest mansion in the | |
| world, and if you can't economically continue to fund it, you | |
| will lose all of those assets you think you have. But an | |
| education is an asset that you never can lose, and you can | |
| always use that. And you are the ones who make that happen. | |
| I have a teacher here today from a rural area similar to | |
| where I grew up, Ms. Beverly Ramsey, from the West Elementary | |
| School. She is actually from Viola, which is about the same | |
| size as Pall Mall where I grew up in Fentress County. And I | |
| applaud her and congratulate her, as each of you should be | |
| congratulated, for being able to win the competition, and I am | |
| sure it is pretty stiff, to be here today. | |
| My question, and I am about to run out of time, is this. | |
| How has ``No Child Left Behind'' impacted your ability to | |
| teach? Do either of you want to answer that? And here is why I | |
| ask that. Here is why I ask that. I think we have to look at | |
| achievability of each student and be sure that that child is | |
| not left behind. And if we don't place an achievability as well | |
| as accountability, we could never reach an accountability | |
| level. So how has it impacted? | |
| My time is running out, I guess, so that is--we---- | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Your time has run out. But just let me | |
| say that I think we all embrace the subject and the theme that | |
| no child should be left behind. And let me point out, we are | |
| spending more on education in America than ever before in the | |
| history of the Republic, and we need to spend more. It is a | |
| very wise investment. | |
| Mr. Davis. Saved by the bell. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Yeah. | |
| Here is what happens. We are going to have a series of | |
| votes now, so we will go next to Dr. Bartlett, a Ph.D., I might | |
| add, Dr. Bartlett who is deeply and passionately interested in | |
| this subject matter. | |
| And then I think if he can keep to the five-minute limit, | |
| we will get to Mr. Honda, and then we are going to have to end | |
| this, because we will go over for a series of votes, and we | |
| can't keep you around all day. And it might be a half-hour to | |
| 45 minutes before we can get back, and that would be | |
| disruptive. | |
| So Dr. Bartlett. | |
| Mr. Bartlett. Thank you very much. | |
| I want to apologize for a schedule that tries to cram five | |
| days of work into less than two days this week, which meant | |
| that at 10 o'clock this morning, I was supposed to be in four | |
| places at once. So I am glad that I am finally able to get | |
| here. | |
| In another life, I spent 24 years as a teacher. I worked | |
| for a number of years as a scientist. And I have had a growing | |
| concern about two things in our country, both of which are | |
| culture-driven. One of them is our inability to attract enough | |
| students to science, math, and engineering. As an example of | |
| the portent for the future, we graduate about 70,000 a year. | |
| The Chinese graduate 200,000 a year, roughly three times more | |
| than we. And India graduates 150,000 a year, a bit more than | |
| twice what we graduate. And that is to say nothing about the | |
| fact that about half of all of the graduate students in | |
| science, mathematics, and engineering in our country are | |
| Chinese and Indians. So the discrepancy is even bigger than | |
| that. | |
| I am very much concerned that for the short-term, this | |
| poses a real threat to our economic superiority. We will not | |
| continue to be the world's premier economic power if we can not | |
| attract enough high-quality students to science, math, and | |
| engineering. And by the way, the bright, young minds in our | |
| country today are increasingly going into what I tell them are | |
| potentially destructive pursuits. They are becoming lawyers and | |
| political scientists. | |
| And you know, I have two questions. The first staff- | |
| generated question has to do with the fact that our kids don't | |
| start out behind. In the fourth grade, they are about on par | |
| with students in the rest of the world, and in the eighth | |
| grade, not so bad, and by the twelfth grade, they have fallen | |
| way behind. In a recent survey, worldwide, we were very | |
| thankful for Sri Lanka and Cyprus, because they were the only | |
| two, out of 21 countries, I think, whose students fared worse | |
| in science, math, and engineering than ours did. You know, you | |
| get what you appreciate in a society. And I will believe that | |
| our culture is changing when the White House invites academic | |
| achievers and appreciates them the way we appreciate athletic | |
| achievers in our country. And you know, when you are calling | |
| bright young men in our schools ``geeks'' and ``nerds'' and | |
| pretty girls won't date them, and when pretty girls have to | |
| play dumb so that they can get a date, don't you think that | |
| this sends the message that there may be something wrong in our | |
| society that we have got to change our culture? | |
| So I am very much concerned about two things. | |
| One is what do we have to do so that we can attract more | |
| bright, young people to these careers? And what do we have to | |
| do so that we are doing a better job of educating? It is | |
| awfully tough to take a student from high school, who is at the | |
| bottom of the barrel in comparison with students from most | |
| other industrialized countries, and then to turn out a really | |
| quality graduate from our graduate schools. What can we do to | |
| attract more, and what can we do to make sure that we have-- | |
| that we do a better job? Because it is not our kids that are | |
| failing, it is we who are failing. They start out okay, and the | |
| longer they go to school, the worse they get. Doesn't that send | |
| a message? | |
| And by the way, Mr. Chairman, the 24-year fall in SAT | |
| scores follow the 24-year increase in the size and influence of | |
| the federal Department of Education. Do you think there might | |
| be a cause-effect relationship? I won't ask you to answer that | |
| question. | |
| But my two questions, what do we have to do to attract | |
| more, and what do we have to do to do a better job of training | |
| them? | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Identify yourself, if you will, for the | |
| record. | |
| Ms. Jones. I am Linda Jones, and I am from Alabama. | |
| Our state has undergone a lot of changes recently. Of | |
| course, with ``No Child Left Behind,'' and elementary teachers, | |
| especially in the K-3 area, we have focused so heavily in | |
| reading and making sure that our children are on target, and it | |
| has cost us, I think, in the science area. And we have also | |
| focused heavily in the math. But in Alabama, we have been | |
| looking at changing how we teach. And a lot of times, we are so | |
| squeezed into the afternoon to teach the math and science, that | |
| we don't take the time, or we don't have the time, to lay out | |
| all of the manipulatives and the things that turn children on | |
| and help them understand the concepts and really know what they | |
| are doing. Instead of just being able to add, why are we adding | |
| and really what are the concepts behind it. | |
| We are working on what we call an arts program, or a | |
| testing program that will test the science. I am getting a | |
| little nervous here, having to stand. I have to take a deep | |
| breath. | |
| But one of the things that we are working on is AMSTY, and | |
| AMSTY is a math and science and technology program. And the | |
| first step that we are having to do is go back, take our | |
| teachers, and retrain them, train them in stepping back instead | |
| of being the teacher, just be a facilitator and putting out the | |
| manipulatives and letting the students work with those | |
| manipulatives and discover new ideas themselves. And that takes | |
| retraining. And it takes time. And then it takes supplies. I | |
| did not have the supplies that the---- | |
| Chairman Boehlert. It takes resources, too. | |
| Ms. Jones. That is right. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. We are just running very short on time, | |
| and I want to give Mr. Honda the opportunity to have a few | |
| observations. | |
| So thank you very much for that intervention. | |
| Ms. Jones. Thank you. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. Mr. Honda. | |
| Mr. Honda. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member. I | |
| appreciate this forum, and let me tell you, as a school teacher | |
| myself, I appreciate what it is that you do. I am a science | |
| teacher. I taught high school, so I had to wait for your work | |
| to be done. My wife, since 1965, was a kindergarten teacher, or | |
| what I say, ``kindegarten'' teacher. And as her husband for | |
| many years, I have to get used to the word ``no'' more than | |
| once. She couldn't ever say ``no'' once. She says, ``No, no, | |
| no.'' | |
| Having said that, I would like to associate myself with all | |
| of the comments that the Chairman and the Ranking Member had | |
| shared with you. | |
| But just to let you know that we understand what it is that | |
| you have to do on a daily basis, such as put up with more | |
| policies that policy-makers pass and place upon your shoulders | |
| without the due compensation, or having assumed that | |
| compensation will be there once we pass a law. We need to hear | |
| your voices constantly saying, ``No unfunded mandates. If you | |
| are going to make a promise, please keep them.'' This committee | |
| is one of the most bipartisan-focused committees that there is. | |
| We understand, also, that math and science, in itself, are not | |
| the only curricular activities that go on in a classroom and | |
| that integration and not compartmentalizing math and science is | |
| critical, too, and that is what K-6, K-8 folks do, and they do | |
| that well. We just haven't figured out, on a national basis, | |
| how to put together teacher training programs that have a | |
| degree, a professional degree that recognizes that. | |
| Another thing is that I think we understand the distinction | |
| between parity and equity. You are given funds to deal with | |
| things in the concept of parity, but we say equity. And ADA is | |
| parity, not equity, because you know that each child has needs | |
| and each child has different kinds of needs and different | |
| amounts of money that would support that child's access to | |
| equal opportunities in education. So we understand that. And | |
| our struggle is to try and figure out how we keep in touch with | |
| you so that we translate your experiences into public policy, | |
| your insights into public policy, so that it is more, if you | |
| will, elegant. And you need to keep in touch with us, almost on | |
| a daily basis, with every one of the 435 Members of Congress to | |
| make sure that public policy does reflect your needs, because | |
| as a teacher, I know that things get put on top of you saying, | |
| ``There is too much fat.'' You know, ``There are places to cut. | |
| We don't know why you can't manipulate or manage your budget.'' | |
| And once we start cutting, at the end of the year, after all of | |
| the cuts, the school closes, kids graduate, kids get promoted, | |
| and people say, ``Hmm, there must be more fat out there.'' | |
| We understand that that isn't the case, that instruction is | |
| something that you need to invest in and that the investment is | |
| something that is realized, not only in math and science, but | |
| music, which is probably the paramount expression of math and | |
| science. | |
| And so I just want to get on my soapbox and let you know, | |
| as teachers, that you are a cornerstone of this democracy. | |
| Don't give up the ship. Keep fighting for these youngsters. And | |
| we are going to do our part here in Congress to make sure that | |
| we back up our words with the kinds of efforts that you need in | |
| your classrooms. | |
| So thank you very much. | |
| And Mr. Chairman, thank you. | |
| Chairman Boehlert. What an eloquent closure to this very | |
| productive hearing. Thank you so very much, Mr. Honda. And | |
| thank all of you. Now the clock says we have about three | |
| minutes and 20 seconds to get from this building over to the | |
| Capitol in order to vote. | |
| Thank you, once again. | |
| Mr. Honda. I need a hall pass. | |
| [Whereupon, at 11:55 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.] | |
| Appendix: | |
| ---------- | |
| Additional Material for the Record | |
| <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT> | |
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