Advocate for Math Education
By Della Cronin
Each year, NCTM and the education community watch Congress debate federal spending for programs at the Department of Education. The process has not gone as it should for many years, but in July, the Senate debated the annual spending bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education for the first time in 11 years. Total education spending will increase by more than $500 million over FY 2018, up to about $71.6 billion. The massive $857 billion spending package, which includes spending for the Department of Defense as well as the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, passed by a vote of 85-7.
Regarding education programs, the bill ignores much of the White House’s FY 2019 budget proposal. It increases Title I funding to $15.9 billion (a $125 million bump), level funds Title II investments in professional development for educators at $2.1 billion, increases funds for the Title IV, Part A Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant program by $125 million to $1.2 billion, and level funds career and technical education and investments in afterschool programs, both at $1.2 billion.
Karen Marrongelle, a longtime NCTM member, was recently selected to serve as head of the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) at the National Science Foundation (NSF). EHR supports fundamental research that enhances learning and teaching as well as and broad efforts to achieve excellence in U.S. STEM education. According to the Foundation’s statement on the selection, Marrongelle’s career as a leader in the research community has been marked by a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. As an administrator, she has focused on understanding the causes of disparities in educational opportunities and establishing strategic visions for addressing those issues. She comes to NSF from her position as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Portland State University, where she worked to implement student inclusivity measures, establish public-private partnerships to support research, and optimize the school's use of grants from NSF and other funding organizations. She was the 2012-13 chair of NCTM’s Emerging Issues Committee.
In White House news, the country is getting closer to having a Science Advisor. In July, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation convened a hearing on a number of nominees, including Kelvin Droegemeier, President Trump’s nominee for the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Droegemeier is a meteorologist and vice president of research at the University of Oklahoma. He also served on the National Science Board under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. If confirmed, he would be the first nonphysicist to lead OSTP since the establishment of the office in 1976.
What Can You Do?
As the mid-term elections approach, legislative activity will slow down on Capitol Hill. Eventually, the House and Senate will need to decide spending levels for education programs for FY 2019, which starts on October 1. Weigh in with lawmakers by visiting the advocacy center and letting them know that investments at the Department of Education are important to math teachers and classrooms.