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| A Prerequisite for Success
“What about this one?” A woman was pointing at a notebook on the shelf, while her daughter stood next to her carrying a basket of school supplies. “Uh-uh,” the middle school-aged girl shook her head in disgust, perhaps out of honest dislike for the solid green notebook, but more likely out of pure adolescent defiance at her mother's recommendation. “And what’s wrong with this one?” The mother was clearly at her wits end with back-to-school shopping. “I need a notebook for math, Mom. Math is boring, so I can’t have a notebook that is boring too – I need one that is exciting.” She looked at her mother as though any rational person would have come to this very same conclusion. This conversation in the supply aisle at Wal-Mart was more than just a debate between mother and daughter about schools supplies; it was, in part, a representation of the growing trend in math and science education in America. Math and science is a growing economic engine for the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs requiring science, engineering or technical training will increase 24 percent between 2004 and 2014 to 6.3 million. However, many American students think science, math, and technology are dull subjects that lead to boring career choices, and as a result, fewer students are opting to continue their education in math and science fields. Our share of the world's science and engineering doctorates is predicted to fall to 15 percent by next year. According to a report from the National Academy of Sciences, less than one-third of U.S. 8th-grade students performed at or above a level called “proficient” in mathematics. A 2006 study found that U.S. 15-yr olds were in the bottom 25% in mathematics literacy when compared against similar aged students in 29 other countries. While American students may think math and science classes are boring, they are regularly using the subjects everyday whether they realize it or not – when they broadcast text messages to their friends from the middle of a shopping mall, when they use iPhone applications to figure out what song is playing at Starbucks, or when they turn on miniature laptops to surf Web 2.0. The interest in math and science is there, but there is a clear disconnect between math and science education and the realization of the exciting potential for math and science in everyday life. Technology like modeling and simulation (M&S) is the way of the future in a breadth of industries across America. As founder and chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Modeling and Simulation Caucus, I have seen first hand how simulation technology has allowed cities to train for disaster response, medical students to practice and prepare for complicated surgeries, urban planners to test traffic flow and transportation patterns, and environmentalists to model green initiatives in cities. The potential for our nation through M&S is enormous. But we need students committed to math and science education and careers to sustain and grow this industry. Even though the use of science and technology in our society has increased rapidly, our students’ visibility to the work behind the technology has remained stagnant. We have a challenge today in America to change the conversation in math and science education to make the subjects not only exciting, but relevant for our students. Our students need to see how intensified “video games” are saving lives in medical, environmental, homeland security and defense industries through simulation technology. They need to hear how analytical skills are necessary for systems and software that are used in the workforce. Changing the conversation in math and science will take a concerted effort of parents, educators, and lawmakers, but it is a conversation that must be a priority – not only for the economic prosperity of our country, but because our children and grandchildren need to be fully equipped to compete in a global economy. First and foremost, parents must encourage math and science learning. Our children’s education is not something that stops when they leave the classroom. Not only is it important for parents to motivate children to learn at home, it is also important that parents stress the value of gaining an education. For hands-on approaches, many Web sites offer ways that parents can support a child’s curiosity in math and science. Parents should also encourage teachers to demonstrate the use of math and science in careers like graphic design, music composition, space architecture, skateboard design, and robotics. Our economy and global competitiveness depends on the skill level, adaptability, and diverse knowledge of our workforce, and we need to treat our education as such. As a nation, we must close the achievement gap, prioritize the improvement of K-12 education and boost college graduation rates, especially in the fields of math, science and technology. We must reward and retain top-notch teachers and accelerate achievement through competition and innovation. Most importantly, though, we need to put partisan politics aside to achieve real reform. Three years ago, I introduced a bipartisan bill with Congressman Edolphus Towns (D-NY) to establish a new Minority Serving Institution (MSI) grant program to help Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges offer the same access to digital technology and opportunities in math and science education as other educational institutions. The bill was signed into law last year as part of larger series of reforms to higher education policy, and consequently there are six HBCUs and thousands of students in Virginia who are benefiting from this important grant program. Additionally, bipartisan programs like the 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act, which I voted in favor of, seek to establish scholarship programs to recruit and educate 10,000 mathematics and science teachers annually for our nation's schools. Receiving the scholarship would require recipients to teach math and science up to six years and would provide our students with quality educators who have received degrees specifically in math and science. Just this year, President Obama has joined with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to reform the education landscape through a competitive grants program that would encourage and reward states that are creating the condition for education innovation and reform. One of the key initiatives of the reform effort is called Race to the Top, which creates a competition by which states can increase or decrease their odds of winning federal support through student growth and achievement. The strength of our society is dependent on the quality of our schools, particularly in math and science education. It is necessary that we begin thinking in terms of a transformation in math and science in America, and innovative, bipartisan solutions are the tools that will help propel us in that direction. With the world moving quickly towards new technology, our students can’t afford to fall behind. Having students trained in math and science is no longer a luxury – nor is it just a path to rewarding careers – it is a prerequisite for success as a nation.
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Every year, high school students and their families across the nation face a common question - how will we pay for college? Families regularly look to grants, scholarships and other financial aid in order to plan for and attend college, but many families are unaware of all their financial aid options. For this reason, Congressman Forbes has teamed up with The Sallie Mae Fund, a nonprofit college-access organization, to offer two free Saving, Planning and Paying for College workshops in the Fourth Congressional District. 
