— The state legislature is getting organized for 2013’s session, which will run from March 5 to May 3. Here’s a look at how Senate education committee’s are shaping up. And here’s information about the House committees.
— Teachers, professors push for high-level science education:
“If you don’t have a science and math background, with the way things are today, you’re not going to go as far as you like,†[Raa Middle School Science teacher Lisa] Ponti said.
…
“We’re trying to let the students know the country needs them to take the difficult courses and pursue the science degrees,†Charles Weatherford [chair of the physics department at Florida A&M University] said. “We need to reach down into the middle schools to reinforce the desire to do science and math. Students need to not give up and work hard.â€
…
“Students who pursue science and math have to be rewarded,†he said. “We’re looking to guide these students through middle and high school so they don’t limit their options once they’re in university.â€
— Next Draft of Common Science Standards to Hit in January:
An ambitious effort to develop common science standards across states will soon face a second—and final—round of public vetting and feedback. The new draft, crafted through a partnership that has brought together education officials from 26 states, is now slated to arrive the first week of January. That’s later than the promised fall release signaled earlier by organizers.
The standards, which aim to refocus K-12 science education, are now projected to be finalized in March. After that, it’s up to individual states to decide if they want to adopt them.
— One of my daily blog reads is The Sensuous Curmudgeon. He had some fun with a recent letter to the editor that appeared in the Naples Daily News.
