Science & Math (March 2010)

One of the most effective ways we can ensure our country’s future security and economic prosperity is to invest in a quality education for all.

In responding to the competitive global economy, China and India don’t hesitate to encourage their top students to pursue science and math careers.

Over the past century, America’s economic growth has been attributed to advancements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

As the leader of Washington, D.C.’s public schools, I receive many letters from students and educators in other countries, soliciting advice on reforming systems they do not feel are teaching the critical thinking, leadership or questioning skills that drive innovation. 

Americans feeling beleaguered by today’s many challenges —economic uncertainty at home, the heartbreaking struggles of our neighbors in Haiti, the need to boost global development while tempering habitat loss and climate change — need look no further for inspiration than two of the youngest guests in the presidential box seats at the recent State of the Union address. Those two women — a high school student from Bellaire, Texas, and a Stanford University freshman geology major — represent the catalytic convergence of science and education that promises to fuel America’s economic recovery while generating new approaches to improving our world.

What if you were told of a way we could increase our country’s gross domestic product by over $40 trillion over the next two decades?

Scientists and teachers have long been concerned about the quality of science and math education.