AAPT has joined with several other scientific and educational organizations in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education coalition by co-signing a letter to congressional appropriators in support of the NSF program.
The current administration has proposed $737.0 million for NSF's EHR Directorate, a cut of 12.4% from the FY 2005 level. This would make the second year in a row that the program has been cut.
Besides the AAPT, the letter was also signed by the American Physical Society, American Association of Physicists in Medicine, the American Geophysical Union, the American Institute of Physics and the Optical Society of America.
The Coalition letter called on Members of Congress to increase spending [for NSF] to a level that would permit $200 million in funding for the NSF Math and Science Partnership Program, and restoration of funding for the NSF Education and Human Resources Directorate to FY2004 levels. The letter was sent to key members of the House of Science, State, Justice and Commerce Appropriations Subcommittee and the Senate Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee.
A copy of the letter is below:
April 8, 2005
The Honorable Richard Shelby
Chairman, Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee Committee on Appropriations
S-146A Capitol Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
On behalf of the science, technology, engineering, mathematics, higher education and business groups listed here, we urge you to continue the federal commitment to K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. In particular, we urge you to increase spending for the National Science Foundation (NSF) to a level that would permit $200 million in funding for the NSF Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program, and restoration of funding for the NSF Education and Human Resources Directorate to FY2004 levels.
The current FY2006 budget proposes to cut education programs at the NSF by 12 percent ($737 million, down from $841 million in FY2005). Programs under the Elementary, Secondary and Informal Education Division would be cut 22.6 percent ($140 million, down from $181 million in FY2005), and the Research, Evaluation, and Communication (REC) budget would be cut by more than 43 percent ($33 million, down from $59 million in FY2005). The FY2006 NSF Math and Science Partnerships (MSPs) would see a 24 percent cut to $60 million.
In this tight budget environment, we understand that difficult choices must be made. Increased and continued investment in these programs is critical, however, if we want to ensure that our students—the future scientists, technologists, engineers, mathematicians, workers, and others responsible for our nation's future innovations, our national security, our economy, and our quality of life—receive a world class education in the sciences and mathematics, and that we have the research base essential to improving it.
The NSF MSPs are working to develop scientifically sound, model reform initiatives that will improve teacher quality, develop rigorous curricula, and increase student achievement in these areas. These programs are not duplicative of the U.S. Department of Education Math and Science Partnerships; in fact, without one program, the other program is significantly weakened. The state-based ED MSPs are not capable of producing the needed research in these areas and look to the NSF MSPs to develop proven models and tools necessary to enhance teacher quality and student achievement.
Other programs in the NSF Education and Human Resources (EHR) directorate, such as Instructional Materials Development, the Teacher Professional Continuum, and the Centers for Learning and Teaching, are designed to support and improve both formal and informal STEM education at all levels. These programs are unique in their capacity to move promising ideas from research to practice, to develop new and improved materials and assessments, to explore new uses of technology to enhance K-12 instruction, and to create better teacher training techniques.
NSF's peer review system that enlists leading scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and academicians to improve K-12 STEM education programs is at the center of this education improvement infrastructure. The NSF peer review model is highly regarded in the scientific community and the programs produced under this approach are developed, tested, and evaluated to insure their efficacy.
Please contact Patti Curtis at 202.785.7385 if we can provide you with any additional information or if you have any questions.
