Chemical Education Today
Editorial
Before It’s Too Late Before It’s Too Late is the report of the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st century. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley established the commission on July 20, 1999—the 30th anniversary of the first landing on the moon. Former astronaut and senator John Glenn was appointed chair, and approximately 30 members were chosen by virtue of their experience in science and mathematics education. The commission’s 50-page report was released on September 27, 2000. It is on the Web at http:// www.ed.gov/americacounts/glenn/toc.html. The commission concludes that “the current preparation that students in the United States receive in mathematics and science is, in a word, unacceptable.” Its report makes a few simple points: •
The future of our country depends on how well we educate children—especially in mathematics and science.
•
Our children are not world-class learners in mathematics and science—they are achieving less than children in other countries.
•
The most powerful instrument for change is good teachers and good teaching.
The commission proposes urgently and insistently that the people of the United States commit to achieving three goals that could bring about fundamental change and enable our students to compete with the best in the world. Goal 1: Establish an ongoing system to improve the quality of mathematics and science teaching in grades K–12. Goal 2: Increase significantly the number of mathematics and science teachers and improve the quality of their preparation. Goal 3: Improve the working environment and make the teaching profession more attractive for K–12 mathematics and science teachers.
These goals are not new, the commission does not claim that they are novel, and it recognizes that they will be difficult to achieve. It cites five factors that make this a good time to focus on improving mathematics and science education: (i) education is receiving attention as a major public issue; (ii) we now have a surplus of resources to invest in education; (iii) there will be major changes in the teaching workforce because two-thirds of all current teachers are expected to retire in the next decade; (iv) much has been learned in the field of education in the past decade; and (v) college students are showing increased interest in teaching as a profession. If we don’t address the situation now, it will be a long time until another good opportunity arises. The commission has proposed strategies by which each of the goals can be achieved. These are based on its view that “the most consistent and most powerful predictors of higher student achievement in mathematics and science are: (a) full certification of the teacher and (b) a college major in the sub-
ject being taught.” Con“school boards, sequently strategies are oriented toward teachers administrators, parents, and professional development. One specific action for achieving goal 1 and policymakers must be is determining what willing to stand up for teachers require in their schools and their profesteachers as the primary sional lives in order to deliver high-quality indrivers of student struction routinely. Others are summer institutes achievement.” for professional development, inquiry groups within which teachers exchange and enrich content knowledge and pedagogical skills, and a dedicated Internet portal that would become an expanding knowledge base on mathematics and science teaching. Similarly, supporting goal 3 includes providing materials, facilities, equipment, and mentor stipends as part of a professional work environment and providing salaries that are more competitive, especially for mathematics and science teachers. The report states that to achieve high-quality teaching “school boards, administrators, parents, and policymakers must be willing to stand up for teachers as the primary drivers of student achievement.” The commission should be applauded for including in its executive summary a section titled “The deeper value of mathematical and scientific knowledge”. It recognizes that students benefit more profoundly from learning science and mathematics than a recitation of practical advantages implies. Scientific inquiry skills and the skills of mathematical analysis provide a foundation for lifelong learning. An understanding of science and mathematics is essential to understanding and participating productively in modern society and culture. Science and mathematics provide a milieu within which change is not fearsome but an opportunity, and students relish inquiry and questioning, activities that can lead to a better, more rational society. The first year of the program is expected to cost more than $5 billion. That’s a lot of money, and the total cost is much more. If the goals the commission has set forth can be achieved, the expenditure is a very worthwhile investment in the future. The last section of the report encourages investments of time and personal commitment by superintendents and school boards, principals, teachers, parents, political policy makers, business, and higher education institutions. I encourage you to read the appropriate parts of that section and consider how you might increase your involvement. Each of us must contribute enthusiastically and creatively to improving mathematics and science education—before it’s too late!
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 77 No. 12 December 2000 • Journal of Chemical Education
1535
