Vernon Ehlers: “This is an excellent bill. I strongly urge the House to pass this bill and to work diligently with the Senate to make…”

“This is an excellent bill. I strongly urge the House to pass this bill and to work diligently with the Senate to make certain that we get these programs passed into law. One of the most important aspects of this bill is that it establishes a competitive merit-based grant program of partnerships between universities and school districts, and they are encouraged to include businesses as well, to improve K-12 math and science education. This is the centerpiece of the bill; it is something that the President recommended early on when he took office, and I am very pleased to see this take place. In addition to that aspect, the bill will enable K-12 math and science teachers to participate in math, science, or engineering research at universities or government or industry labs. That can be a life-changing experience for a high school teacher, or even an elementary school teacher, to spend time working in a well-known lab with a well-known scientist and doing science at the edge of the envelope. Third, this bill establishes a competitive merit-based grant program to set up four university research centers on teaching and learning.”