WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Commerce, Science, and
Transportation Committee hearing today on building a high-tech workforce,
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Committee, said
that she plans to introduce legislation to encourage colleges and universities
to adopt an innovative program started in 1997 at the University of Texas at
Austin, called UTeach, as a way to better prepare secondary science, math and
computer science teachers.
“Texas is home to a unique program that prepares math and
science teachers by effectively combining undergraduate degrees in the science
and technology fields with teacher certification,” said Senator Hutchison. “I
plan to introduce legislation soon that will create a grant program to encourage
colleges and universities to adopt the UTeach program. This would help colleges
and universities to recruit and prepare students who major in science,
technology, engineering, or mathematics to become certified as elementary and
secondary school teachers. This program has become the national benchmark for
teaching excellence and has been mentioned in several high profile studies
including the National Academies’ ‘Rising Above the Gathering Storm’ report.”
Senator Hutchison noted that a solid foundation for a
scientifically literate workforce begins with developing outstanding K-12
teachers in science and mathematics. She
said that while an American high school student has a high likelihood of being
taught English by a teacher with a degree in English, that same student has
only about a 40 percent chance of studying chemistry with a teacher who was a
chemistry major.
“Science and technology are at the core of America’s ability
to compete in an increasingly globalized economy,” Senator Hutchison
said. “These subjects are crucial to solving many of the challenges we
face as a nation in areas such as energy independence, biotechnology, and
healthcare. By increasing our focus on these crucial areas, we will allow our
nation to play an essential role in fostering an innovation-based economy.
Unfortunately, primary and secondary schools frequently fail to produce enough
students with the interest, motivation, knowledge, and skills they will need to
succeed in the 21st Century’s global economy. I think by
working together, we can make America even more competitive and innovative than
it is today.”
You can watch Senator Hutchison’s statement here.