The solar eclipse increases interest in science and technology, especially among young people.
But the adage “you can't be what you can't see” is a reality for young people of color considering careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
According to the 2024 Black Girls and STEM report, this demographic wants to become astronauts, engineers, and more, but a lack of Black representation could dampen their enthusiasm.
Crystal Morton is the founder and director of Girls STEM Institute, which offers courses for girls ages 7 to 18.
She said she focuses on relevant cultural content and careers for girls who might not otherwise have access to these experiences.
“That might be doing a session about the science of black hair,” Morton says, “looking at different products and learning how they're made and what's in them. When we make our own products, we look at the label and say, “What are you putting on your skin and hair?'' You should be able to say, “I should be able to do it.'' ”
She said students can quickly make connections.
According to the National Center for Science and Technology Statistics, about one-third of STEM employees are women. But of the 35 million people employed in STEM fields, only 18% are Black workers.
Morton said the institute's Saturday program is affiliated with the Indiana University Indianapolis School of Education. During the summer, volunteers discuss careers in aviation and medicine with students.
As a former math teacher, Morton believes it's important to be exposed to this information early, saying children begin to show curiosity as early as third grade.
“The idea is that understanding how things happen in technology all requires a different level of mathematical understanding,” Morton said. “They need computational thinking skills, because that's how this world works. And I believe they have it. Just sitting back and watching them play. If you do, you'll see the problem solved.”
The number of bachelor's degrees has increased since 2015, but the number of STEM-related degrees awarded hasn't changed much, according to a report on Indiana's STEM education priorities.
Hispanic and Black students earn 3% to 5% of STEM degrees. They make up 6% and 9% of the state's population, respectively.
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Educators and public school advocates are opposing policies that would consolidate state-funded services that have been a key part of schools in rural Iowa for generations. Some state lawmakers said the funds could be used more efficiently.
Regional Education Offices are the go-to place for rural Iowa educators when they need state services at the local level and are available in all 99 Iowa counties. House Bill 2612 would consolidate government agencies, outsource some of their services, and have the state oversee them.
Mike Owen, vice president of the group Common Good Iowa, said government agencies have been an important resource for generations.
“Local education agencies are an invaluable local system that supports school districts both large and small, providing a variety of services that they cannot perform on their own,” Owen explained. “From special education to media services to teacher professional development.”
Gov. Kim Reynolds, who signed the bill, said it would be a more efficient way to spend the state's education dollars. It is scheduled to come into effect from July 1st.
The fight over public school funding is playing out on many fronts in Iowa, a state known for offering some of the highest quality public education in the nation. The state recently enacted a private school voucher program paid for with state funds.
Owen believes consolidating local education agencies and outsourcing some of the services they provide is another step in the wrong direction for Iowa's K-12 classrooms. Masu.
“This is a complete disdain for locally elected school decision-makers,” Owen argued. “Unfortunately, it is yet another example of education being used to pit people against each other, when in fact it is a unifying value for Iowans.”
There are nine regional education agencies in Iowa. The state Department of Education would oversee all of that.
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Over the past four years, much has changed in the way New Mexico teaches children to read. Following the passage of a 2019 state law, elementary school teachers in the state receive training in “structured literacy” and the science of reading.
Research shows that children learn to read when they can identify letters or combinations of letters and associate those letters with sounds. But teaching that skill isn't always intuitive.
Severo Martinez, director of the Department of Literacy and Humanities, said there are more than 500 elementary schools in the state, where teachers undergo two years of training while they continue to work in the classroom.
“Teachers in all disciplines teach literacy, but whether you're a math teacher, a science teacher, or a social studies teacher, you can't read if you can't read. Do one of the assignments for your class,” Martinez explained.
In addition to increasing the number of students who acquire reading comprehension, the program also aims to reduce the number of students who require special education services.
This school year, the Department of Public Education launched a reading challenge to encourage students to become “superhero readers” and “level up” their reading performance. Martinez has also written books for students highlighting New Mexico's rich cultural diversity and history. He hopes that all of this will combine to make them proud adults who want to make a positive contribution to the world.
“With the Level Up Reading Challenge, we want to motivate our students and help them understand why learning to read and write is so important. “It opens up a world of possibilities,” Martinez continued.
Martinez said New Mexico now requires first-graders to be tested for dyslexia by the 40th day of the school year to detect common disorders that slow reading comprehension. Starting this summer, the Department of Public Instruction will also offer tutoring to ensure that all students are proficient in reading.
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Arizona Public Schools Superintendent Tom Horn and the State Board of Education rejected the move to enact a new ESA voucher handbook.
The handbook, proposed by the Arizona Department of Education, would create safeguards to ensure that taxpayer funds are spent responsibly in so-called Empowerment Scholarship Accounts. Instead, they stuck with last year's books.
Beth Lewis, director of Save Our Schools Arizona, said she was disappointed. She believes Arizona voters now need to look to the Legislature and Gov. Katie Hobbs to prioritize accountability for the controversial ESA. She believes Mr Lewis missed an opportunity to give taxpayers more transparency about the money put into vouchers.
“All of these incredibly extravagant expenditures have been approved,” she said. “These laws won't do much, but they will provide at least some accountability.”
Lewis said having rules in place would also help parents using vouchers know what is allowed and what is not. She has heard of examples of people spending money on water park tickets, televisions, Apple watches, and expensive musical instruments.
in letter State Sen. Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) told a state commission that the handbook “deviates” from legislative provisions that “do not place any restrictions” on the products that can be purchased with ESA vouchers. did.
Lewis argued that Arizona public schools are good stewards of taxpayer dollars because when they make a purchase, it's considered an investment for years to come.
“So it’s not just one child who will own that trombone forever,” she said. “It's utilized every year. It's a perfect example of why public funds are pooled for public schools and why voucher programs don't really work under a microscope.”
Most voters are concerned about the Grand Canyon State's low teacher pay and lack of public school funding, according to a recent Education Forward Arizona poll.
Lewis called Arizona's ESA voucher program “a complete black box” and argued that the proposed safeguards are what she called “common sense.”
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