STEM

Educators, Tech, Business Leaders Say STEM Innovation Requires Teacher Support

• By Sri Ravipati
• 02/27/17

In an open letter published on Medium today, various education, technology and business leaders within the 100Kin10 network and beyond outlined the critical need for excellent STEM teachers in the United States.

“To produce big ideas, solve our biggest challenges, and keep America competitive on a global scale, students need excellent educations — in STEM especially,” according to the letter. “Teachers produce the future’s doctors, engineers, architects, inventors, entrepreneurs and, of course, educators; they power the possible and empower future generations to imagine and achieve what now seems impossible.”

However, many STEM teachers are not prepared and lack essential resources to do their jobs effectively, the letter explained. It called on everyone to join 100Kin10 and its partners in promoting innovation and supporting teachers by adding their names to the campaign, which has more than 90 signatures so far. 100Kin10 is a national network working to recruit and train 100,000 excellent K–12 STEM teachers by 2021.

Among the letter’s signators are:

• American Association of Physics Teachers;
• Steven Barbato, executive director and CEO of the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association;
• James Brown, executive director of the STEM Education Coalition;
• Fernand Brunschwig, president of STEMteachersNYC;
• Dionn Brown, director of STEM initiatives at Urban Teachers;
• John Keller, director of California’s nationwide STAR program;
• Kumar Garg, former White House Office of Science and Technology Policy assistant director for learning and innovation;
• Robert Floden, lead and university distinguished professor at Michigan State University College of Education; and
• Monica Cardella, director of INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering at Purdue University.

“STEM education powers innovation and our economy. We all have a stake in its future,” said Talia Milgrom-Elcott, 100Kin10 co-founder and executive director, in a prepared statement. “We cannot foster the next generation of inventors, problem solvers and critical thinkers if we don’t train and support the STEM teachers who will put them on that path.”

The letter can be viewed here.