Dear NSTA Board, Council, AoA, Past Presidents and State Chapters:
In a surprise move yesterday, the Senate Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee marked up their appropriations bill for FY2013 programs and significantly cut the Dep. of Education’s Math and Science Partnership program, reducing the funding level by $51 million from $150 million to $99 million.
The full Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to vote on this funding bill tomorrow. During the hearing Sen. Richard Shelby, the ranking Republican on the Labor/HHS/Ed Subcommittee, will offer an amendment that would restore $51 million to the Math and Science Partnerships program, restoring it to the same funding level as last year of $150 million. Additional details are at the bottom of this message.
ACTIONS NEEDED:
1) Follow this link to send a letter to your Senators urging them to support the Math and Science Partnership program and the Shelby Amendment. <http://t.congressweb.com/l/?CKCHVRSUMCKDXSP>
2) Let us know ASAP if we can add you name to the list of supporting organizations for the Shelby Amendment. The vote will be held tomorrow morning as early as 10:30 am.
Further information on the Math and Science Partnership Program and the Shelby Amendment:
- The Mathematics and Science Partnerships program is the only Department of Education program specifically aimed at improving the performance of students in the areas of math and science by enhancing teachers’ subject-matter knowledge and their teaching skills.
- The Fiscal Year 2013 Labor/HHS bill cuts $50.7 million from the Fiscal Year 2012 level for the Math and Science Partnerships program, providing only $99 million for this critical initiative.
- Additionally, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act requires that when the appropriation for the Math and Science Partnerships program drops below $100 million that funding be distributed on a competitive, rather than formula, basis. Instead of every state receiving federal funding to support math and science professional development initiatives, now only students in select states will be taught by teachers that have advanced math and sciences training.
- This amendment would restore the $50.7 million cut to the Math and Science Partnerships program in the Fiscal Year 2013 Labor/HHS bill for a total of $149.7 million. This level would be sufficient to ensure funding continues to be distributed to every state.
- To restore the Math and Science Partnerships program, this increase would correspond with an equal reduction to the Race to the Top program. It is important to note that the Race to the Top program would still receive the same amount of funding that was provided in Fiscal Year 2012 of $549 million. This amendment would only eliminate the increase provided in Fiscal Year 2013 for the Race to the Top program.
-Jodi and James
Jodi Peterson
Chair, STEM Education Coalition
Assistant Executive Director, Legislative and Public Affairs
National Science Teachers Association
1840 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 312-9214 (office)
jpeterson@nsta.org
www.nsta.org <http://t.congressweb.com/l/?CKCHVRSUMCQOHGS>
www.stemedcoalition.org <http://t.congressweb.com/l/?CKCHVRSUMCWGPOQ>
James Brown
Executive Director
STEM Education Coalition
700 North One Lafayette Centre
1120 20th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 400-2192
jfbrown@stemedcoalition.org
www.stemedcoalition.org <http://t.congressweb.com/l/?CKCHVRSUMCPACAU>
STEM Education Coalition
700 North One Lafayette Center – 120 20th Street N.W. – Washington, D.C. 20036 – (202) 223-1187