Petition for America Competes; STEM in National Security Strategy; Nominee for NSF Director;New Achieve Director of Science;Public Agenda Report
Greetings STEM ED Coalition members, For your consideration today:
1. As you know, America Competes cleared the House two weeks ago with bipartisan support http://science.house.gov/
ASTRA is asking everyone to PLEASE SIGN THE AMERICA COMPETES SUPPORT PETITION TO CONGRESS (see attached)
2. On May 28 the President released the Administration’s first National Security Strategy (attached). The document includes sections about Science/Tech/Innovation as well as STEM (see page 29)
3. President Obama has announced his selection for Director of the National Science Foundation. Information below.
4. Achieve has announced that the GA DOE Chief of Staff will Become Director of Science (and guide development of next generation of science standards). Information below.
5. Public And Parents Buy Into The Need To Ramp Up Math And Science Education But Most Still Think Their Local Schools Are Doing Fine. Read the new Public Agenda report at http://www.publicagenda.org/pages/math-and-science-ed-2010
Cheers, James and Jodi
James Brown
Co-Chair, STEM Education Coalition
Assistant Director, Advocacy
American Chemical Society
Office of Legislative Affairs
(202) 872-6229 (office)
(202) 872-6206 (fax)
Jodi Peterson
Co-Chair, STEM Education Coalition
Assistant Executive Director, Legislative and Public Affairs
National Science Teachers Association
1840 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 312-9214 (office)
(703) 841-0250 (fax)
Subra Suresh, Nominee for Director, National Science Foundation
Subra Suresh is currently Dean of the School of Engineering and the Vannevar Bush Professor of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). From 2000 to 2006, Dr. Suresh served as the head of the MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He joined MIT in 1993 as the R.P. Simmons Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and since then has held joint faculty appointments in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Biological Engineering, as well as the Division of Health Sciences and Technology. From 1983 to 1993, Dr. Suresh was a faculty member in the Division of Engineering at Brown University. He has been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Indian National Academy of Engineering, the Indian Academy of Sciences in Bangalore, the Royal Spanish Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Sciences of the Developing World based in Trieste, Italy, and the German National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Suresh is the recipient of the 2007 European Materials Medal, the highest honor conferred by the Federation of European Materials Societies, and the 2006 Acta Materialia Gold Medal. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, an M.S. from Iowa State University, and a Sc.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Suresh also holds honorary doctorate degrees from the Technical University of Madrid in Spain and Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
GaDOE Chief of Staff Leaving Georgia to Coordinate the Next Generation of Science Standards
Stephen Pruitt to join Achieve as Director of Science
June 7, 2010 — Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) Chief of Staff Stephen Pruitt today announced he will be leaving his position effective July 5 to become the Director of Science for Achieve. <http://www.deliveryinstitute.org> He will begin that position on July 6.
Based in Washington, D.C., Achieve is a bipartisan non-profit organization, founded by governors and business leaders, to ensure that all high school graduates are prepared for college, careers and life.
“I am very excited about this new opportunity to join such a well-respected organization like Achieve,” said Pruitt. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Georgia Department of Education and my time in the classroom. The chance to coordinate the development of the next generation of science standards is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I could not pass up.”
“We are thrilled that Stephen will be joining Achieve as our new Director of Science,” said Michael Cohen, Achieve’s President. “Stephen brings to the job a deep understanding of science, science education and policymaking, and his outstanding credentials will be an asset to Achieve.”
Pruitt joined the GaDOE in 2003 as the Program Manager for Science. He served in that role for four years before becoming Director of Academic Standards, where he oversaw the continued implementation of the Georgia Performance Standards in all content areas. In 2008 he was promoted to Associate Superintendent of Assessment and Accountability, a role that directs all state assessments and oversees the No Child Left Behind accountability process – Adequate Yearly Progress. In April 2009, State School Superintendent Kathy Cox selected Pruitt as her Chief of Staff, where he has coordinated a variety of projects like Georgia’s third-ranked Race to the Top application.
“Stephen has been a tremendous advocate for the students and teachers in Georgia for many years,” said Superintendent Cox. “He has dedicated his career to ensuring that all students are prepared for success after high school, especially in the area of science. I can think of no one better suited for this position to help lead our national science efforts than Stephen.”
“Leaving Georgia and all of the colleagues I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the last several years is very difficult,” said Pruitt. “But I feel like this is a perfect time for me and my family to take this next step and be able to have an impact on the future science curriculum all students in our country will learn.”
MORE INFORMATION:
Achieve – http://www.achieve.org/ <http://www.achieve.org/>
