Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA
UNI, other officials warn of state-fed science ed program clash
By AMBREEN ALI, Courier/Medill News Service
WASHINGTON, Educators warn that a proposed nationwide council to
coordinate science and math education could compete with state initiatives under
way to coordinate Iowa's many science education programs.
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers showed support this week for the National Science
Board's recommendation for a council made up of representatives from federal
and local agencies as well as school districts. The new group would work
independently of other federal programs to create national guidance on
preschool through college science, technology, engineering and math curriculum.
The Iowa Board of Regents has asked for $5.5 million in state money next year
to create a similar council at the state level. The University of Northern Iowa,
Iowa State University and the University of Iowa are leading the Mathematics
and Science Education Collaborative Initiative, which will coordinate public and
private plans to prepare Iowa for a biotech and biofuel economy.
Jeff Weld, associate professor at the University of Northern Iowa, is leading the
math and science plan's steering committee. He said the federal role should be
limited to coordination so states can learn from each other.
"How nice would it be to have initiatives centralized and disseminated and
coordinated by some overseeing body?" Weld said. "But there could be a certain
redundancy since some states are already ahead of the game."
Education policy decisions have traditionally been left to states and the nation's
14,000 local school districts, but concerns about the country's lagging
competitiveness in science education have created bipartisan support in
Washington for a national plan.
"There's no magic bullet out there, but what's a better approach?" said Science
and Technology subcommittee chairman Brian Baird, D-Wash., at a hearing to
discuss the proposal.
The House committee will take no immediate action to create a council, but a
representative said that the hearing Wednesday was part of a continued effort for
more cohesive science education, a "huge priority" for the committee.
"We face competing requirements and priorities from different federal programs
and efforts," said Judy Jeffrey, director of the Iowa Department of Education,
representing the Council of Chief State School Officers at the hearing. "The last
thing we need is more bureaucracy."
The subcommittee's top Republican, Rep. Vernon Ehlers of Michigan,
acknowledged that the increased federal role would be controversial, but said
agreement on national standards is essential for the sake of consistency among
school districts. American families move on average every four years, he said.
"At the top of the list (of competitiveness) are small, homogenous countries that
have the same curriculum throughout the country," Ehlers said of the leaders in
science and math. "There's a real urgency to this."
Susan Traiman, director of education policy for Business Roundtable, an
advocacy group representing chief executives of 160 corporations, agreed with
supporters of the national plan that "It's absurd for each local community to make
these decisions."
But Traiman sided against the proposal, saying that federal intervention is so
controversial, it would slow state-level efforts already under way to improve
science and math standards.
Crista Carlile, science curriculum coordinator for Des Moines Public Schools,
supports the National Science Board's proposal, but fears losing control in
forming programs relevant to Iowa's economy.
"I like the idea of having more consistency," Carlile said in a phone interview.
"But I am concerned that Iowa may not have a voice. We're a small state, we're
in the middle of the country, and we could get lost in the shuffle."
Contact Ambreen Ali at ambreen.ali@gmail.com.