The Department of Education has indicated that it hopes to encourage students to become more interested in science, with help from the economic stimulus bill and other resources. According to an Associated Press report, Education secretary Arne Duncan is hoping to begin a "new era" for science education in the U.S. that features more participation from students and more teachers with specialized training. "Whether it's global warming, evolution or stem cell research, science will be honored. It will be respected and supported by this administration," the wire service quoted Duncan as telling the National Science Teachers Association this week. Duncan also reportedly told his audience that there has been a "dumbing down of standards for political reasons" in the current education system, and advocated a $5 billion "race to the top" fund for states trying to add more innovation to their own education programs. The secretary is hardly the only one who sees a strong need for more science teachers. Science and math are two subject fields facing a national shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in light of an increasingly global economy that has seen increasingly rapid progress made by other countries.  |