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NMSI CEO Tom Luce Joins Golfer Phil Mickelson in Calling on Congress to Boost Math and Science Support
DALLAS-(Business Wire)-July 17, 2008 - Tom Luce, CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), will testify before Congress on Tuesday, July 22, about the urgent need to provide more funding for math and science education in the United States.
"Time is running out while our competitors in other countries move ahead - just this week two universities in China moved ahead of American universities in graduating students who earn PhDs here in the United States," the longtime educator leader said this week.
"We are moving rapidly at NMSI to focus resources from the private sector on the growing math and science crisis in this country, but Congress must do its part," Luce emphasized. "Congress needs to act now to fund rigorous math and science classes in American schools as well as programs to train math and science teachers. Other countries are making math and science a priority - shouldn't we?"
Mr. Luce will testify before the Education and Labor Committee chaired by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., at 2 p.m., along with professional golf champion and education advocate Phil Mickelson; and Dr. Ramona Chang, one of the teachers participating this summer in the Mickelson teacher training academy.
Mr. Luce served as United States Assistant Secretary of Education for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development from July 2005-September 2006 and was a co-founder of the National Center for Educational Accountability. He is the author of Now or Never - How We Can Save Our Public Schools (1995) and Do What Works (2004).
Phil Mickelson is one of the top all-time winners in pro golf, having won 34 career victories since making his professional debut in 1992. He has won the prestigious Masters Tournament twice and has been a member of six Ryder Cup teams. In 2005, he and his wife Amy launched the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy to provide third-through-fifth grade teachers the training to help students succeed in math and science careers.
Dr. Ramon Chang is Director of Curriculum for the Torrance Unified School District in Torrance, California and is one of the 600 teachers from across the country who have been selected to participate in the 2008 Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy.
NMSI, a non-profit organization, was created in 2007 as a result of the "Rising above the Gathering Storm" report by the National Academies, which warned that the U.S. is falling behind in math and science achievement. NMSI's mission is expanding programs with proven success in math and science education across the nation. The initial focus is on replicating two programs that each have 10 years of data proving they work: a training and incentive program for Advanced Placement * courses and UTeach, a program to recruit, prepare and retain qualified math, science and computer science teachers.
In the last year, NMSI has launched AP Training and Incentive programs in six states and UTeach programs at 13 universities. Forty states have applied for the programs, according to Luce, but additional public-private support is needed to implement the programs in all the states that have applied.
*AP and Advanced Placement Program are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.
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