David Obey: “Let me simply say, Madam Chairman, that there is nothing in the world more deadly than a dull science teacher. I know…”

“Let me simply say, Madam Chairman, that there is nothing in the world more deadly than a dull science teacher. I know from long, personal experience, and so does one of my sons. Let me say that this earmark is meant to correct that problem in at least one area of the country. The funds that are attacked by this amendment are for the Bay Area Science Teacher Recruitment, Retention and Improvement Initiative, which supports the professional development of the K-12 science teacher workforce of the Bay Area, with a particular focus on the needs of underserved schools. These funds would be used for professional development programs consisting of summer workshops and academic year follow-up activities for 500 science education teachers, online professional development activities, and curriculum development. This initiative is being conducted by the Exploratorium, a private, nonprofit science museum in San Francisco. It is a longstanding program of professional development for science teachers. It has been awarded more National Science Foundation grants than any other museum. Those funds will significantly increase the number of teachers served. Recruitment and retention of science teachers is a major problem in the Bay Area, with over 50 percent of new science teachers leaving the workforce within 5 years, causing ongoing shortages, particularly in high-poverty urban school districts.”