Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) convened the hearing expressing the importance of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the need to reauthorize the legislation “in the coming months.”  “It’s time to change the law,” he said. “These waivers are a short-term fix for a long-term problem and leave states and districts tied to a failing law.”  Kline went on to highlight the four Republican priorities for the rewrite of this law as: 1) restoring local control; 2) reducing the federal footprint; 3) improving teacher effectiveness; and 4) empowering parents. “We have an opportunity to work together in good faith to bring true reform to America’s K-12 schools.  To change the law to more effectively support the teachers, school leaders, superintendents, and parents who are working tirelessly each and every day to ensure our children have the skills they need to succeed,” Chairman Kline said.

While Ranking Member George Miller (D-CA) expressed his concerns with the Department of Education’s ESEA waivers, as well as the need to provide states and districts flexibility to support their work and move away from the more prescriptive nature of current law, he also supported a slightly more activist role for the federal government.  “The federal government will never actually improve a school nor should it try,” Miller said. “However, we must continue to support the simple idea that low-performing schools should be identified and required to improve.”  Louisiana State Superintendent of Education John White expressed support for a less complex K-12 framework and said, “A strong ESEA reauthorization will be uncompromising in its commitment to accountability but humble in its view of the federal role and its potential to create confusion more than coherence.”  Dr. Chris Richardson, Superintendent of Northfield Public Schools in Northfield, Minnesota, stressed that a new ESEA is necessary to provide “all schools and students with relief from the broken, outdated components of current law.”  Mr. Matthew Given, Chief Development Officer of EdisonLearning, commented on the “tremendous opportunity” that a reauthorized ESEA could offer in terms of allowing for innovative accountability solutions.

For more information, including a recording of the hearing and witness testimony, go to: http://edworkforce.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=332571.

Prepared for Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education by Washington Partners, LLC

During Wednesday’s full Committee hearing, witness John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, highlighted the President’s strong support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), NIST, and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, explaining that the three agencies are “repeatedly identified as important in maintaining America’s preeminence in the global marketplace.”  Other highlights of the President’s budget he noted were investments in clean-energy initiatives through the Advanced Research Projects Agency –Energy (ARPA-E) and the consolidation of STEM education programs.

Committee Chairman Smith (R-TX) asked Dr. Holdren about taxpayer funding for social science and political science studies at the National Science Foundation (NSF), and how research spending might be better prioritized.  Holdren cautioned against Congress micromanaging how agencies such as NSF award research grants, but added that there is “room for improvement” in how NSF prioritizes research initiatives based on potential value to the national interest.

On Thursday, Patrick Gallagher, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of NIST testified before the Technology Subcommittee to discuss the 24 percent increase in discretionary funding and an additional $1 billion in mandatory funding requested.  Half of the proposed increased in discretionary funding would focus on advanced manufacturing research both at NIST laboratories and through a federal-state-private sector partnership and the $1 billion mandatory account would establish a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), which aims to bring together researchers, companies and entrepreneurs to collaborate and develop new manufacturing technologies, he explained.

During the hearing questions, Subcommittee Chairman Tom Massie (R-KY) inquired how NIST plans to deliver on NNMI if the $1 billion in funding is not provided and if NIST would contribute any discretionary funding to the cause.  Gallagher mentioned leveraging existing programs that supports through Research and Development (R&D) in industrial science or small business program outreach.

Ranking Member Wilson (D-FL) asked him to further describe advanced manufacturing research initiatives. Gallagher outlined a strategy to improve supply chain development by closing the research gap between universities, federal labs and other entities with that of many small manufacturers and providing them with new technologies to improve their products and processes.

More information, including full witness statements and a recording of the hearing, is available at:  http://science.house.gov/hearing/subcommittee-technology-hearing-overview-fiscal-year-2014-budget-proposal-national-institute and http://science.house.gov/hearing/full-committee-hearing-review-president%E2%80%99s-fy-2014-budget-request-science-agencies.

Prepared for Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education by Washington Partners, LLC

In her opening remarks, Ranking Member Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) said “STEM education is a worthwhile investment that Congress must consider furthering.”  “The Democratic approach to reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) should be looked at as a model for STEM education,” said McCarthy explaining that the Democratic approach ensures students are “assessed in science and it provides dedicated funding for STEM education, while still giving states and districts flexibility to use those funds as they think best.”

Representative Phil Roe (R-TN) asked panelists for their thoughts about how to encourage young people to take interest in science and technology and improve the federal government’s efficiency in providing these services.  George Scott, Director for Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues for the GAO, pointed out the need for the government to develop a government-wide STEM education and strategic plan that ensures programs have meaningful transparent performance goals and measures with periodic evaluations to determine effectiveness.

Ranking Member McCarthy asked Bill Kurtz, the Chief Executive Officer of the Denver School of Science and Technology, to identify practices that are the most successful among minority populations and how these efforts could be replicated.  Mr. Kurtz said the school’s “non-track” program is the most important aspect, explaining how tracking can limit the “potential and possibility” of certain students.  He went on to state, “There is a complete belief that all students can get there and we will help them get there regardless of their background.”

Chairman Rokita asked panelists their thoughts on having retired professionals from particular industries enter the teaching profession.  Dr. Steve Schneider, the Senior Program Director for WestEd, discussed industries that are allowing employees to participate in STEM education.  He spoke about an initiative at Microsoft that allows young computer programmers “who thought about going into teaching, but decided they couldn’t afford it” to work with teachers who are interested in teaching advanced placement (AP) computer science courses but may not be fully prepared to do so.  The Microsoft employees instruct one class per day for two years while helping to develop the teacher’s content skills.

More information, including full witness statements and a recording of the hearing, is available at:  http://edworkforcehouse.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=143.

Prepared for Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education by Washington Partners, LLC

The Administration’s plan also calls for major reorganization and consolidation of federal STEM education programs, from a total of 226 down to 112 programs. This movement will severely affect agencies with smaller education programs and especially initiatives at NASA. Nearly $180 million will be shifted from these consolidated programs to the Department of Education, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Smithsonian Institution to implement a coordinated national strategy.

The strategy will focus on four core reform areas for STEM education: K-12 instruction, undergraduate education, graduate fellowships, and informal/out-of-school education. With these changes, the Administration intends to reduce fragmentation, enhance evaluation, and increase the impact of the federal investment in STEM education programs.

For the Department of Education, the proposal included an overall 4.6 percent increase. The budget includes $35 million to pilot the Master STEM Teacher Corps initiative and $80 million for STEM Teacher Pathways to support the President’s goal of preparing 100,000 new STEM teachers in the next decade. More details on the Department of Education’s STEM programs are here.

Though the President’s budget is just a proposal which must still be addressed by Congress, it lays out the Administration’s priorities for the coming fiscal year which begins October 1. Read more details about the President’s plan for STEM education in this White House announcement.

Join Triangle Coalition for a Conference Call
STEM Education in the President’s Budget 

• When: Wednesday, April 17, 10:00 a.m. EDT
• Presenter: Camsie McAdams, Senior Advisor on STEM Education, U.S. Department of Education; Einstein Fellow Emeritus
• Details: The President’s newly released budget has significant implications for STEM education. Get an inside look from the Department of Education’s Senior Advisor on STEM Education on the major STEM initiatives and changes outlined in the budget. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of the Administration’s plan for the next year.
• RSVP to receive dial-in details: Email guelzowa@triangle-coalition.org 

Ranking Member Dan Lipinski (D-IL) emphasized America’s ranking behind other countries in science and math achievement and implications of this comparative weakness on the workforce. House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) noted the importance of learning about partnerships and programs taking place outside of the federal government to address this workforce issue to avoid duplicative programs and ensure the effective use of resources.  Chairman Smith asked the panelists for input on how the federal government can avoid the duplication of programs. Shelly Esque, President of the Intel Foundation, recommended the federal government provide funding to seed research to prove the effectiveness and validity of STEM programs, so corporations can make informed decisions on investments and partnerships.   Dr. Vince Bertram, President and CEO of Project Lead the Way, recommended STEM initiatives remain focused on their work and “not move into other areas simply to chase funds.”  Andrea Ingram, Vice President of Education and Guest Services at the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI), expressed a different view, explaining that in recent years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has directed the majority of their grant awards to undergraduate universities to conduct research and evaluation.  Congressman Mo Brooks (R-AL) asked why the panelists would not prefer to eliminate federal bureaucracy and distribute the federal $3 billion investment in STEM education as scholarships to students interested in pursuing STEM careers.  Explaining the issues of retaining students in the STEM fields, Esque noted the difficulty retaining students in post-secondary STEM curriculum because they lack adequate K-12 foundations.  She asserted that providing the fundamental training in K-12 is essential for students to successfully obtaining post-secondary STEM credentials. More information, including full witness statements and a recording of the hearing, is available at:  http://science.house.gov/hearing/subcommittee-research-stem-education-industry-and-philanthropic-initiatives.

Prepared for Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education by Washington Partners, LLC

Now that the sequester has been triggered, agencies have two months to develop a clear path forward under the across-the-board cuts.  There is new information daily regarding how each individual agency will apply reductions.  As for programs administered by the Department of Education (ED), such as Title I funds for poor schools and districts, and campus-based aid programs for college students, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent letters to governors this week letting them know what to expect in terms of program cuts.  Since many of the programs that affect K-12 education are forward funded, the cuts will not affect these programs until the allocations that are scheduled for July—meaning the cuts will affect resources for the 2013-2014 school year, and not the current one.  For the competitive grant programs the agency oversees, current grantees won’t see any cuts.  Cuts will come out of FY 2013 (the current fiscal year) funds, but the plan is not to cut continuation grants from multi-year grants but to reduce funding for new grants or contracts.  After some analysis, there are those in the education community that assert that the reductions in K-12 spending will be particularly painful in North Dakota,  Mississippi, New Mexico, Idaho and South Dakota—the five states that rely most heavily on federal education money.

As for higher education programs, ED has no authority to waive or change the campus-based allocation formulas that drive awards. Additional guidance for TEACH grants is coming, and College Access Challenge Grants are subject to the sequester-required 5.1 percent cut, since that is a program funded by mandatory dollars. For the TRIO programs, ED expects every grant to be cut by 5 percent.  Student loan borrowers will also be affected almost immediately, since loan origination fees on federal direct loans will increase for new loans disbursed after March 1.  For Stafford loans, the fee will increase from 1 percent to 1.051 percent; for PLUS loans, the fee will increase from 4.0 percent to 4.24 percent.  Over at the National Science Foundation (NSF), it has been announced that cuts will affect future awardees—in that there will be fewer of them.  Current grants shouldn’t be affected.  Those institutions that receive significant federal dollars for research programs and other efforts from NSF and other agencies should be checking in directly with those agencies.

From a more practical perspective, the advocates in Washington, DC that are on Capitol Hill trying to address the cuts and support better futures for federal investments in education are already directly affected by the cuts.  The meetings and discussions are hard enough, but this week it was announced that the sequester means that there will not be enough Capitol Police to man all of the entrances to the Capitol and the House and Senate office buildings, and fewer of them will be open.  That means longer lines.  On the upside, longer lines are powerful motivators.

Prepared for Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education by Washington Partners, LLC

The resolution cited the necessity of STEM fields to ensuring a thriving economy and a skilled workforce in the United States. With less than one-third of U.S eighth graders demonstrating proficiency in science and mathematics, this competition is designed to encourage students in the study of STEM subjects and motivate them to pursue related fields as careers. Due to the increasing need for more computer scientists, the competition will initially focus on encouraging students in computer science by challenging them to develop software apps.

The resolution tasks the Committee on House Administration with establishing specific rules and regulations for the competition. District offices may seek guidance from experts in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to help establish criteria and judge contest submissions. Modeled after a similar Congressional contest for the arts, winning students in the STEM competition will be recognized by the House of Representatives.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) delivered the following speech in support of the resolution on the House floor:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the House’s efforts to promote entrepreneurship and innovation through a new nationwide Congressional Academic Competition focused on science, technology, engineering and math.

From Robert Noyce to Sergey Brin, America has long been at the forefront of the digital revolution. Yet, the United States faces an increasing challenge in terms of competitiveness and the opportunities available to future generations.

This competition will provide a unique opportunity for America’s high school and college students, in each Congressional District, to showcase their capabilities and creativity and build a framework for American success.

Each year, this competition will bring communities together with their Member of Congress to recognize the importance of innovation and motivate students to pursue their ideas, take risks and put forward innovative solutions.

By challenging students to explore the importance of computer science in their everyday lives, we hope that this competition will help empower them to use their creativity to code for a more prosperous and innovative community.

This competition will initially focus on developing applications for mobile, tablet, and computer platforms; reviewed by community leaders and entrepreneurs in these fields. However, given that technology rapidly changes over time, the competition has been designed with the ability to evolve for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Miller, Ranking Member Brady, and their staffs for their hard work in making this program possible. It will be exciting to see the kinds of advancements and breakthroughs students will come up with across the country.

I look forward to the success of the Congressional Academic Competition for years to come and encourage my colleagues to support this effort to inspire the next generation of American innovators.”

Sen. Franken said in a press release, “Creating a STEM Master Teacher Corps will help ensure that our students are equipped with the skills they need by giving new STEM teachers role models to look up to and get advice from. At the same time, it will give more experienced and effective teachers support, advancement opportunities and recognition of their hard work.”

A related plan released by the White House in July 2012 estimated that the program, which would operate out of the U.S. Department of Education, may cost approximately $1 billion, making it the single largest federal STEM education investment. With that said, and given the current budgetary situation, a program with a price tag of this magnitude is not likely to gain much traction in Congress. Following its introduction, the legislation was referred to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) for consideration. The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

In October 2011, Triangle Coalition supported the original bill (S. 758) that was introduced during the 112^th Congress. Now in the 113^th Congress, Triangle Coalition is one of more than 55 groups that have currently signed on in support of the bill, S. 358.

The President pointed to what he considers to be notable successes: the numbers of U.S. soldiers brought home from wars abroad; the creation of six million new jobs; decreased dependency on foreign oil; and a healing housing market.  With an optimistic outlook, the President highlighted significant economic gains, but noted the great deal of work yet to be done to support the “healing” but persistent troubles in the country’s employment and wage rates, calling on Congress to move forward on efforts that “reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth – a rising, thriving middle class.”

The President declared that the first step in bolstering the economy is to make “basic decisions about our budget—decisions that will have a huge impact on the strength of our recovery.”  Calling for the need to “forge reasonable compromise,” he asked Congress to work with him to find the additional $4 trillion in deficit reductions necessary to stabilize U.S. finances and avert sequestration.  He also asked that Congress not allow domestic education and job training programs to bear the burden of deficit reduction efforts, as it would under the provisions of the pending sequestration.  Alternatively, the President urged Congress to close tax loopholes and deductions for the “well-off” and the “well-connected” in conjunction with overhauling the tax code and to take on specific entitlement reforms.

Asserting, “Deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan,” the President outlined other proposals that build a “smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth” in order to fix the deficit and strengthen the middle class.  These initiatives include investments in U.S. manufacturing, energy and infrastructure so the country’s businesses can compete successfully in the global economy.  Serving as the foundation for the big ideas that will spur innovation, advance alternative energy opportunities, and ultimately bolster manufacturing jobs, the President called for increased investments in research and development, asserting that such investments yield significant returns.

He added that to fill these jobs, citizens must be equipped with the needed skills and training.  The development of such skills must start in the early years, claimed the President, who made the case for the federal government to begin working with states to make “high-quality preschool available to every single child in America.”   In addition to focusing on the early years, ensuring students graduate high school prepared for college and a career must continue to be a high priority for the nation.  Citing Germany’s focus on graduating their high school students with the equivalent of a technical degree from a U.S. community college, he proposed that such results be the future of education in this nation.  In order to accomplish this objective, the President announced a new challenge that would “redesign America’s high schools so they better equip graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy. And we’ll reward schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers, and create classes that focus on science, technology, engineering and math.”

Continuing up the education ladder, the President addressed the rising costs of higher education asking Congress to amend the Higher Education Act (HEA) so that affordability and value are considered when determining which colleges receive certain types of federal aid.  Additionally, he announced that the Administration would soon release its proposed “College Scorecard” that will allow parents and students to compare colleges and determine the value of varying schools and programs.

Turning to a topic that is a priority for both Republicans and Democrats, the President called for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform and bring a bill to his desk for signature.  This bill should continue to strengthen the nation’s borders, crack down on companies that hire undocumented workers, establish a path to earned citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and streamline the legal immigration system to attract skilled entrepreneurs and engineers that will create jobs and grow the economy, he declared.  This portion of the address prompted a standing ovation from both political parties—a rarity during the President’s remarks.

Obama also proposed raising the minimum wage to $9 dollars per hour and closing the gender pay gap, calling on Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act this year.

As has been remarked by pundits, the emotional portions of the address came at the end of the evening.  In the final moments, the President focused on citizens affected by gun violence, and he pointed to the two dozen Americans present in the gallery whose lives have been affected by gun violence. The President aggressively pushed Congress to vote on the proposals his Administration unveiled earlier this year regarding gun safety, saying repeatedly, “They deserve a vote.”

In his closing remarks, he once again pled for unity in policymaking, saying, “As Americans, we all share the same proud title –we are citizens. It’s a word that doesn’t just describe our nationality or legal status. It describes the way we’re made. It describes what we believe. It captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations, that our rights are wrapped up in the rights of others, and that well into our third century as a nation, it remains the task of us all, as citizens of these United States, to be the authors of the next great chapter of our American story.”

Republican Response

Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio was chosen by the Republican Party to compare and contrast the ideals and ideals of his party with President Obama’s proposals.   Senator Rubio challenged the President’s ideas for strengthening the middle class, arguing that the answer to alleviating the burdens on the working class is not through more taxes and spending, but by supporting a free enterprise system.  He said, “The idea that more taxes and more government spending is the best way to help hardworking middle class taxpayers – that’s an old idea that’s failed every time it’s been tried.”

Rubio touched on immigration reform, education and entitlement programs, applying the common goal of fostering accelerated economic growth, and minimizing tax burdens to each policy area.  Overall, Rubio requested the president “abandon his obsession with raising taxes” and instead focus on economic growth.  “Raising taxes won’t create private sector jobs. And there’s no realistic tax increase that could lower our deficits by almost $4 trillion.”

Conclusion

While the SOTU Address typically signals the forthcoming release of the President’s budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, given the uncertainty with the looming sequester and the incomplete budget for FY2013- the current fiscal year- the release of the Administration’s FY 2014 budget request has been delayed.  Mid-late March is when education advocates expect to see the plan.

The text of the President’s address is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/state-of-the-union-2013. The Department of Education has a blog post highlighting the education portions of the speech at http://www.ed.gov/blog/2013/02/in-state-of-the-union-obama-outlines-bold-education-proposals-to-grow-the-middle-class/.

The President will participate in a Fireside Hangout Thursday, February 14 at 4:50 pm EST. To watch, visit: www.youtube.com/whitehouse.

Prepared by for Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education by Washington Partners, LLC:

Della Cronin (dcronin@wpllc.net)
Audrey Busch (abusch@wpllc.net)
Laura Kline (lkline@wpllc.net)