Obama to announce training initiative for math, science teachers

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is announcing a $250 million initiative Wednesday to train math and science teachers in an effort to reach his administration's goal of moving American students from the middle to the top of the pack in those subjects over the next decade.

"The quality of math and science teachers is the most important single factor influencing whether students will succeed or fail in science, technology, engineering and math," Obama said in a statement. The money will help prepare 10,000 new teachers and train 100,000 more, the administration said.

During a White House event, Obama will also honor 100 math and science teachers from around the country for their excellence in the classroom.

Through the "Educate to Innovate" campaign, the government will work with major companies and universities to recruit and train teachers. The White House has said a substantial vacancy exists in the so-called STEM field: science, technology, engineering and math. Up to 1 million new teachers will be need to be recruited over the next five years to fill the gap, the White House said.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/80797337.html

[NJmaverick]

1. I doubt this story will get much play

but this is the sort of quiet move that can pay great dividends in the future.

[MNDemNY]

2. Any initiative that aids public education is a good thing.

More of this, please.

[Dappleganger]

3. I know several excellent math and science teachers

who were laid off last year, what will he do to get them back into the classroom?

[MNDemNY]

5. You mean actual money for public education??

[tridim]

6. Obama didn't fire them, your local school board did.

What will you do to get them back into the classroom?

[Dappleganger]

12. I voted for the teachers

We are out of work, too so I feel their pain. Our school board had no choice, they cut everything they could including the electric and transportation bills. We need money from the feds to hire back those teachers so that kids can be taught by people who love to do their jobs!

[tridim]

14. Gawd I hate to see this happen in America.

It's most likely due to falling property tax revenue. It's happening everywhere.

I assume your school district still has funds for sports? Typical.

[Freddie Stubbs]

15. Why didn't the school district raise taxes to avoid laying off the teachers?

:shrug:

[amandabeech]

19. I cannot believe that you have to ask in this economy. n/t

[amandabeech]

18. Many state and local governments could use stimulus money to keep vital services going.

If Obama is serious, he could direct money to the schools to keep teachers from being laid off.

Plus, there are many unemployed tech types. Since those jobs will be filled by H1B holders, why not retrain U.S. born techies to teach?

[tridim]

20. I'm an unemployed tech

But I'm not a very good teacher. Wish I was.

[amandabeech]

22. I understand. Teaching is an art of sorts.

However, with NCLB, teaching has become more of a drill than an art. Don't count yourself out.

[Fumesucker]

8. Perhaps if they were to work for minimum wage?

Goldman Sachs needs that money for bonuses for paper shufflers, we must have priorities after all.

[AlinPA]

4. Let me guess: the republicans are opposed to it because they prefer to have more

emphasis on creationism and bible studies.

[WriteDown]

7. I wonder if this training will include testing....

How else will they be able to guage if these teachers are absorbing the material?

[proud2BlibKansan]

39. Bingo

My thoughts exactly. Sadly, I don't trust Obama to do what is best for our schools.

[scubadude]

9. Well, at least in the Chicago area there are no science positions avalable.

My was a science teacher, and a good one. She had to change jobs, moving from a very under funded school in order to be with me. Unfortunately, every science position she applied to in the Chicago area was jammed with many many applicants. The Chicago scool system had just laid off thousands of teachers. She eventually gave up and went to work in a science laboratory.

Could it be that many of the science positions available are geographically located in places that are less attractive where the pay is way lower? She looked for about a year before she gave up.

Scuba

[surrealAmerican]

17. Sadly, the lack of positions in this area is not because ...

... the schools are all well staffed with science teachers. Schools are cutting "costly" programs like science to balance their budgets. In Illinois, most school funding comes from property taxes, and tax revenue is way down.

[proud2BlibKansan]

40. Science isn't tested

It's as simple as that.

[Demeter]

10. Start By Remedial Education for Legislators

Test them quarterly for results. Pile on the homework, and the punishments...and cut out their sports, vacations, and amenities, like toilet paper and lightbulbs in the bathrooms...which was how my college balanced their books, by the way.

[bitchkitty]

11. GOOD! n/t

[Jokerman]

13. Too bad there won't be any public schools left to teach in.

Unless something is done to reverse NCLB the only schools left will be private and "charter" schools.

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. Yeeeeesssssss!

Teach them to teach the kids so companies won't want to look elsewher -- at atleast be honest about why they hire outside our boundaries.

[Dappleganger]

21. Obviously you've become victim to the RW lie

that corporations are bringing in H1B's because our workforce is so poorly knowledgeable in math and science, instead of the fact that they do it all because of the almighty dollar.

[The Backlash Cometh]

25. I'm aware of it.

That's why I wrote, "at least be honest..."

[ShortnFiery]

24. Yes, it's all about PLEASING the blessed "companies."

:puke:

[The Backlash Cometh]

26. You can't force them to hire anybody,

but you can block off their objections by eliminating them.

[ieoeja]

28. You have got to be shitting me?

We hire IT from outside because of the 10-1 cost ratio per body. Period. While we have to hire 4 times as many programmers to do the same amount of work, it still works to our benefit.

Anybody who thinks US employees are worse than what we're getting out of Asia these days has exactly ZERO experience with the work coming out of Asia.

[The Backlash Cometh]

30. Heck, I live in Florida.

Any president that wants to teach the teachers to teach the kids math and science is alright with me. We're like 48th in the nation when it comes to education. We're fighting assholes that want to replace Science with Creationism, for God's sakes! So ANYTHING will be an improvement.

However, you're coming in loud and clear and you are also right. This whole thing that we don't have qualified people in the USA right now, is bullshit. But what is it going to take to turn that stereotype around? Unless, maybe, it will require debunking that East Indians are better at math?

[ieoeja]

31. I'm sorry.

Some day I am going to meet a Florida DUer who does *not* think their state is the most screwed up state in the country. But as I have yet to meet said DUer, I must defer to your greater wisdom on said state!

:toast:

[The Backlash Cometh]

34. I meet such courteous people on DU.

:fistbump:

[ShortnFiery]

23. BFD Not everything that is "important" focuses on science and math.

:thumbsdown:

p.s. Adding in Community Outreach and Citizenship initiatives would serve "the common good" for the entire nation.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

27. Science and math education are two areas where Ameican students...

...come in far, far behind their counterparts in other developed nations.

p.s. Adding in Community Outreach and Citizenship initiatives would serve "the common good" for the entire nation.

And I like pie, but that has nothing to do with the discussion at hand.

[ieoeja]

32. On tests.

Because we are obviously not far, far behind our counterparts in other developed nations in research and in the workforce. Which is what should really count. But politicians need measurements they can use when running for re-election. If they happen to destroy American inovation in the process, well....

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

33. How does funding science and math education destroy American innovation? n/t

[ieoeja]

35. It doesn't.

But teaching-to-the-test, supported pretty much universally by popularity contest winners, does.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

29. Yeah, that'll keep us on the cutting edge.

:rofl:

[Vidar]

36. Meanwhile he continues his wholesale assault on public education.

[Freddie Stubbs]

37. How is training teachers a "wholesale assault on public education?"

:shrug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

41. Read the fine print

Surely there is a clause about data, which means even more testing. And there is also probably language about charter schools.

Obama has demonstrated over and over that he does not support traditional public schools.

[Vidar]

42. It's his support of the odious charter schools I object to.

[marshall]

38. Hopefully the folks at Berkeley high will get wind of this

Aren't they in the process of phasing out their successful high school science program?