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+
+ - THE 2004 PRESIDENTIAL AWARDEES FOR EXCELLENCE IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHING
+
+[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.
+
+
+
+ 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:
+
+ Based on the involvement you have had with federal
+ math and science programs, what are the most important and
+ effective components of these programs?
+
+ 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?
+
+ 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, T3. 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
+
+ Graduated in 1972 from Indian University of
+ Pennsylvania with a degree in Home Economics Education.
+
+ Began teaching career in Greenville, South Carolina--
+ teaching home ec. at an inner city public school, Beck Middle
+ School.
+
+ 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.
+
+ Internalized the philosophy that children learned
+ best when actively engaged with the content.
+
+ Began teaching 6th grade math in 1994.
+
+ Joined NCTM (National Council of Teachers of
+ Mathematics) allowing for growth in the mathematics education
+ profession.
+
+ 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.
+
+ Obtained National Board Certification in the Area of
+ Adolescence Mathematics.
+
+ 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.
+
+ Worked with other teachers in my district in to
+ create two middle school math curriculum guides each reflecting
+ the NCTM standards.
+
+ Married to a high school science teacher.
+
+ 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.
+
+
+
+ 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
+
+
+
+
+ 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.
+
+
+
+
+ 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!
+
+
+
+
+ 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
+
+ 1973--BA, University of New Mexico
+
+ 1981--MA, Antioch University
+
+Teaching
+
+ 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
+
+ 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.)
+
+
+
+ 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
+
+
+
+
+
+
+