[StBernard] Melancon Votes for Education and Research Bills

[Westley Annis]

	WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon voted today for two
bills to support science and math education and research and spur U.S.
competitiveness in the global economy as part of the House of
Representatives' "Innovation Agenda."
	 
	The "10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds" Science and Math Scholarship
Act (H.R. 362) will increase the number of highly qualified math and science
teachers in K-12.  The Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Act
(H.R. 363) will support young researchers to foster the most innovative
scientific research.  Rep. Melancon also supported both bills as a member of
the House Committee on Science and Technology, where they were drafted.
	 
	"Innovation and education are the driving forces behind a strong
economy," said Rep. Melancon.  "We must take bold steps now to ensure that
American students and workers are prepared for the careers of the future and
that our nation is equipped to compete in the global economy.  These bills
will encourage more young people to become math and science teachers and
will foster cutting edge research by young scientists.  I am proud to
support them and will continue working in Congress to make sure the United
States remains the world leader in research and innovation."
	 
	The "10,000 Teachers" bill, which overwhelmingly passed the House
with bipartisan support, will take critical steps to place highly qualified
teachers in math, science, and technology K-12 classrooms.  The bill will
invest in 10,000 new science and math teachers, totaling some 25,000 over
five years, by increasing the number of scholarships for students majoring
in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and who are
committed to pursuing teaching.   The bill will encourage these scholarship
recipients to choose careers in high-need school systems by creating a
clearinghouse of information on teaching opportunities available in these
schools.  
	 
	The "10,000 Teachers" bill will also strengthen the skills of math,
science and technology of up to 250,000 teachers by improving education and
training opportunities for math and science teachers and expanding
professional development, summer training institutes, and graduate education
assistance. 
	 
	According to the National Academies, the number one thing we can do
for our future economic health is invest in our science and math teachers.
A number of highly publicized studies have shown that the mathematics and
science achievement of American students is poor by international standards.
In 2005, 39 percent of 12th graders lacked even basic high school math
skills. [National Assessment of Educational Progress] 
	 
	This measure has been endorsed by a broad range of businesses and
universities as well as industry and education groups, including the
Business Roundtable, Association of American Universities, Council on
Competitiveness, the College Board, Semiconductor Industry Association and
the Business Software Alliance. 
	 
	Rep. Melancon also voted for the Sowing the Seeds Through Science
and Engineering Research Act (H.R. 363), which also passed the House with
broad bipartisan support.  The "Sowing the Seeds" bill would increase
support for long-term scientific research and encourage young scientists and
researchers to pursue high-risk/high-reward research.  The bill provides
grants for outstanding researchers in the early stages of their careers from
the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.  
	 
	The bill also establishes a Presidential Innovation Award to
stimulate scientific and engineering advances, provides graduate research
assistantships in areas of national need, and establishes a national
coordination office to identify and prioritize research infrastructure needs
at universities and national laboratories. 
	 
	Researchers at early stages in their careers are more likely to
shift paradigms, break with tradition, or bring new ideas in
high-risk/high-reward research that is likely to be transformative or highly
innovative. 
	 
	Like the "10,000 Teachers" bill, the "Sowing the Seeds" bill is
based on the recommendations of the National Academies' widely-acknowledged
"Rising Above the Gathering Storm" report, which found that the U.S. stands
to lose its competitive edge in the international economy unless immediate
action is taken.
	 
	"We must invest in the minds of our young researchers because they
hold the fresh, new ideas that innovation depends upon," said Rep. Melancon.
"Someday these young researchers will fill the ranks of our senior,
established and ground-breaking scientists and our country's economy and
competitive stature will depend on them."
	 
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