“It was found that students who took introductory courses in math and science in universities found them to be difficult, uninteresting or not presented in an engaging way,” says Winston. “So universities are in a good position to engage in this discussion.”
Dr. Nancy Cantor, chancellor and president of Syracuse University, and Dr. William E. Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, agree that there is a sense of urgency to bridge the perception gap between the public and policy makers. Cantor says it is necessary to find a local hook — to apply scientific solutions to the real world problems affecting the local economy.
“We’re reinventing ourselves to the knowledge economy,” she says. “It’s a challenge, but an opportunity for creating a pipeline for a diverse work force. We are hooking in our K-12 partnership to see science and math as exciting and [applicable to] the real world.”
Kirwan adds that the report “shows a vague receptability on behalf of the public and we can go further.” He says the state of Maryland needs to produce 200 science teachers annually to meet demand. Currently, the state only produces 50.
“We will ratchet up that number and will be the first state to do its share of providing the teachers we need,” Kirwan says.
The seven focus groups were held in Atlanta, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and were followed by a national survey of 1,000 registered voters (margin of error = +/- 3.1 percent).
Ward says he is not alarmed by the responses, but says “we need to find a higher level of commitment for these subject areas. We’ve begun policy movements without knowing what the public thinks.”
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
