By Della B. Cronin

August was a slow month in Washington, DC. As usual.  Even though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) tried to keep the Senate in town a bit longer than originally planned to address health care reform, the Senate was unable to make any progress on the issue and ultimately headed to local airports before the first Friday in August.  The Congressional to-do list still has many items on it, and given the increased tensions between the parties, among the parties and the adversarial relationship developing between the White House and Republicans on Capitol Hill, large, complicated, expensive policy initiatives will be even more difficult to get to the President’s desk.

While Members of Congress and President Donald J Trump have spent much of August out of town, Hill staff remained behind.  In particular, House and Senate Appropriations Committee staff have been busy as they prepare to act on the FY 2018 spending bills.  NCTM and the education community are gearing up to fight for adequate investments in the Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants Program (Title II, Part A, of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)), the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (SSAEG) program (Title IV, Part A of ESSA), and the Teacher Quality Partnerships grants (Title II of the Higher Education Act), which are crucial investments in the teachers and resources required to prepare today’s students for success in postsecondary study and the workforce.  NCTM President Matt Larson penned a letter to Senate appropriators asking them to reject proposals from the White House and the US House of Representatives that ignore the importance of these programs.  The broader STEM education and education communities have made similar requests.  Ultimately, FY 2018 spending decisions are expected to be surrounded by drama.  A potential government shutdown, a debate around increasing the country’s debt limit and a new budget deal that increases mandated spending caps are just three of the issues that could amplify the already politically-charged annual spending debate.

In addition to the spending debate, STEM education advocates are watching the White House.  In August, President Trump donated his second quarter salary to the Department of Education to help fund “a STEM-focused camp for students.”  While that announcement raises more questions than it answers, later in the month he did mention plans to increase participation in STEM programs among women and underrepresented minorities.  Together, the two announcements suggest something else STEM-related is coming from the White House.  And “back to school” would be good timing.  In fact, the subject is enjoying popularity on Capitol Hill as well, with the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology holding a hearing on “STEM and Computer Science Education: Preparing the 21st Century Workforce.”  James Brown, Executive Director of the STEM Education Coalition (NCTM is co-chair of the organization’s board), testified and he and other witnessed discussed STEM education innovations around the country, from early childhood education through postsecondary study, including successful local public-private partnerships. The conversation also focused on the skills gap in the United States and the need for a federal commitment to high-quality STEM education.  

Even if there isn’t a new initiative from the White House or the Hill addressing STEM education, NCTM is hoping that the Congress might get to two pieces of legislation in the second half of the year. First, the bill that would revise the Carl D Perkins Career and Technical Education Act that passed the House unanimously earlier this year has languished despite its bipartisan support.  The Senate has yet to release a proposal or act on the issue this year.  Second, neither the House nor the Senate has begun—in earnest—the work required to reauthorize the Higher Education Act.  Of course, bipartisanship is required for progress on both. Fingers crossed.