Your Help Requested to Keep STEM Schools in America COMPETES Act
May 13, 2010 | Alumni, Gifted Ed, News, Parents, People | No Comments
Parents, Alumni, and Friends:
From time to time, we ask your assistance in promoting legislative priorities that affect the lives and educational opportunities for young people who are gifted and talented. Legislators benefit from hearing the thoughts of their constituents on policy matters and weigh those communications heavily when making decisions.
Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources are examining and voting on an important piece of legislation that has the power to promote opportunities for schools of science and math. These Senators are the ones who will be considering the America COMPETES Acts prior to Memorial Day recess, so acting soon is imperative.
We encourage you to contact Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning to request that he votes to retain programs (specialized schools of science and math) in the America COMPETES Act. Should you have friends or family in other states willing to lend their voice, a full list of committee members by state can be found below.
One recommendation in the report Rising Above the Gathering Storm, states that it is important to keep the message that schools of math and science constitute a key strategy “to ensure that the United States maintains its leadership in science and engineering to compete successfully, prosper, and be secure in the 21st century” (p. vii). The need for specialized schools of science and mathematics is greater than ever, so please retain the language from the original America Competes legislation.
Retaining this language in the act has the potential to fuel additional STEM educational opportunities should the program receive federal funding.
We encourage you to note the following items in your message to Sen. Bunning:
• “As a member of the committee, you are in a position to ensure that the math-science high school language that is in current law is retained in the reauthorization of America COMPETES.”
• The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky is the time of program that represents the goals of the America COMPETES Act. The program is about enabling a twenty-first century workforce that is trained for advanced STEM careers. Moreover, the program assists promising future leaders in becoming more innovative, creative, and entrepreneurial.
• The Gatton Academy, which represents 95 of Kentucky’s 120 counties and has partnered with over 100 public high schools, demonstrates that specialized science and math schools have the ability to affect change across a wide geography of students and districts.
We ask that you fax a letter to Sen. Bunning’s office by Monday, May 17, 2010, at 4 p.m. EST. A tangible letter is less difficult to dismiss. Letters may be faxed to 202-228-1373.
Should you wish to email Sen. Bunning, you can do so through his website: http://bunning.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm. Select “Energy” from the topic list and please include “Urgent: America COMPETES Act” as the subject.
As always, your efforts to promote opportunities for all students across the Commonwealth and nation are sincerely and greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Dr. Julia Roberts, Executive Director
Mr. Tim Gott, Director
Mr. Corey Alderdice, Assistant Director, Admissions and Public Relations
Members of U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Democrats
Chairman Jeff Bingaman (NM)
Byron L. Dorgan (ND)
Ron Wyden (OR)
Tim Johnson (SD)
Mary L. Landrieu (LA)
Maria Cantwell (WA)
Robert Menendez (NJ)
Blanche Lincoln (AR)
Bernard Sanders (I) (VT)
Evan Bayh (IN)
Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Mark Udall (CO)
Jeanne Shaheen (NH)
Republicans
Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Richard Burr (NC)
John Barrasso (WY)
Sam Brownback (KS)
James E. Risch (ID)
John McCain (AZ)
Robert Bennett (UT)
Jim Bunning (KY)
Jeff Sessions (AL)
Bob Corker (TN)