Sheila Jackson Lee: “I have an amendment at the desk. I thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Johnson for the opportunity to speak on my…”

“I have an amendment at the desk. I thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Johnson for the opportunity to speak on my amendment to H.R. 1806, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015. My amendment included in the Rule to H.R. 1806 would improve the bill by addressing the STEM education gap for K-12 students. Jackson Lee Amendment #3, creates state and regional workshops to train K-12 teachers in project-based science and technology learning, which will allow them to provide instruction in initiating robotics and other STEM competition team development programs. This amendment also leverages the collaboration among higher education, businesses, local private and public education agencies to support STEM efforts at schools located in areas with unemployment is 1 percent or more above the national rate. Robotics competitions and other similar competitive opportunities have proven to be one of the most successful paths for engaging young minds in STEM education. Competitions such as FIRST, a national robotics competition that engages 400,000 students each year and awards millions of dollars in scholarships are paving the way for future STEM success. This Jackson Lee amendment focuses on reducing the STEM gaps that currently exists between K-12 students attending schools in different geographic regions or who come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Only 1 out of 10 high schools in the U.S.…”