Editorial: More focus on math, science education

02/23/2006

Star Tribune Editorial
Last update: February 21, 2006 – 6:34 PM

America has fallen behind some other nations in the production of scientists and mathematicians, causing justifiable worry about the nation’s competitive future. Both India and China graduate more than four times as many engineers as the United States. What does that say about where the next big ideas in technology will come from?

That is why recent Republican proposals to boost domestic math and science education have merit. An important element of overall K-12 reform is encouraging more students and teachers into technical learning.

During his State of the Union address and a recent visit to 3M, President Bush said his Competition Initiative would double research in the physical sciences and make permanent the current tax credits for research and development. It would also put tax dollars into training 70,000 teachers for high school-advanced placement math and science courses, hiring 30,000 scientists and engineers to work as teachers and giving struggling disadvantaged students more opportunities to learn math and science.

Locally, Minnesota House Republicans have recommended creating a special Math and Science Academy as yet another way to raise awareness and expand technical learning opportunities for students.

Those approaches hold promise, but they cannot be done effectively on the cheap. Nor can they be carried out in isolation of or at the expense of other learning needs such as early childhood education and basic literacy by third grade.

Bush suggests several hundred million in the first few years and a $50 billion commitment over the next decade, making the pledge dependent on future leadership. It’s also unclear where funding will come from, given the White House’s love for cutting taxes and domestic spending. In addition, this is not an administration that has been particularly friendly to hard science. Bush has touted “intelligent design” as a legitimate alternative to evolutionary theory, doubted the existence of global warming and undercut federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research.

A similar resource problem could also affect Minnesota. With the no-new-taxes policies of the Pawlenty administration, where will the support come from to establish a new school? Other special academies, such as the Perpich Center for the Arts, are treated like state agencies and have suffered budget cuts. Will there be a continued commitment to maintain a science and math academy over time?

Still, with proper investments, these ideas could reap big benefits. Better-trained students could go on to staff R & D labs, creating more good-paying jobs and boosting science budgets. Having more math and science scholars in the pipeline and improved salaries would mean many could choose teaching and still make a decent living. And improving technical education for all students could help America maintain its competitive edge.