Coalition Praises Bipartisan Support by 34 House Members for STEM in ESEA

October 8, 2015

The STEM Education Coalition issued the following statement on a bipartisan letter coauthored by U.S. Representatives Richard Hanna (R-NY) and Joe Courtney (D-CT) and signed by 34 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, sent to House and Senate leaders supporting a Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provision that would provide dedicated funding to every state to boost STEM education activities:

[su_quote]Our Coalition is dedicated to elevating STEM education as a national priority and we are really pleased to see a large group of House members from both parties come together in support of this goal. Representatives Hanna and Courtney have recruited a large and diverse group of their fellow members to echo this call for action to ensure the nation’s major education law will help provide support to states to improve STEM education. In today’s economy every student needs to have a strong foundation in the STEM subjects in order to land and succeed in virtually any job – from the shop floor to the research lab to the boardroom. Congress has an obligation to ensure our nation’s schools have the resources to build that foundation.[/su_quote]

In mid-July, the U.S. Senate joined the House in passing legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, otherwise known as No Child Left Behind.  The letter from House members calls on the leaders of the respective House and Senate Education Committees, who are now negotiating a final agreement, to include a specific provision (Title II.E) from the Senate’s bill. This provision supports partnerships between schools, businesses, non-profits, and institutions of higher education, which would then support a wide range of STEM-focused objectives, including recruitment, retention, and professional development of educators; expansion of learning opportunities both in and outside the classroom; and closing achievement gaps for at-risk and high-need student populations.

See the Letter to House and Senate Leaders in Support of STEM Funding

See the Coalition’s Analysis of the House and Senate ESEA Legislation