A Closer Look at National Academies Convocation on Rising above the Gathering Storm Two Years Later
Tuesday, Apr 29, 2008
Arkansas representatives from business, industry, education and government headed to Washington DC last week for the “National Academies Convocation on Rising above the Gathering Storm Two Years Later: Accelerating Progress toward a Brighter Economic Future.”
Arkansas STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Coalition leaders and six student fellows received a special invitation from the National Academies to attend this convocation with accompanying travel support. The special invitation was extended in light of the overwhelming success of Arkansas’ own
Rising Above the Gathering Storm event in September, 2007.
The national convocation addressed the accomplishments and future goals of the National Academies’ effort to vastly improve science and mathematics education for k-12 and higher education, thereby improving the economy through higher quality science and technology related jobs. This meeting addressed the nation’s achievements and future goals since the implementation of numerous programs designed to boost the economy by improving science and mathematics for K-12 and higher education. The message: our national economy will suffer, and thus the quality of life in this country, without high quality jobs that lead the U.S. to new technology and scientific discovery. On a global scale, China and India will soon be leading the world in 21st century skills, and the United States must keep advancing.
The all-day event began with an opening panel discussing the need for US global competitiveness. Chief Washington and Capitol Hill Correspondent and CBS News’ Bob Shieffer served as the moderator on this panel featuring Sally Ride, the first woman in space and Chief Executive Officer of Sally Ride Science, which motivates girls and young women to pursue careers in science, math and technology. .
Following the opening panel, members of congress spoke including Kay Bailey Huchinson, U.S. Senate (Texas) and chairwoman of the Science and Space Subcommittee, who authored legislation that recruited mid-career professionals and retirees into teaching positions. She played a key role in improving the No Child Left Behind Act and spoke about improving K-12 education. Physicist Rush Holt, U.S. House (New Jersey) and member of Committee on Education and Labor and Committee on Natural Resources, also spoke about the need to improve science and technology education across the U.S. Through their efforts, members of this Committee have helped to secure more than $700 million of federal funding for science and technology research.
Additional speakers included Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Energy, Samuel Bodman, and Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez. All three Federal Cabinet Members spoke about the improvements needed in the education system in the U.S.; furthermore, Margaret Spellings, the key implementer in the No Child Left Behind Act, discussed how the law improved benchmark test scores nationwide and played a part in eliminating achievement gaps within the states.
As with the Rising Above event in Little Rock, the day concluded up with attendees and invited guests breaking out into five different groups. This allowed guests to discuss the issues that were addressed throughout the day.
