KU News Release
KU News
KU Today
Scene on Campus
Services:
Subscribe to KU RSS
Jan. 5, 2010
Contact: Lynn Bretz, University Communications, (785) 864-7100
Media advisory: KU chancellor to present letter to Obama; universities to address shortage of science, math teachers
Bernadette Gray-Little
LAWRENCE — University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little and three other leaders of public research universities will hand deliver to President Obama at the White House Jan. 6 a letter from 79 public university leaders pledging to address the national shortage of science and mathematics teachers.
Gray-Little will represent UKanTeach, an innovative program established in 2007 at KU to address the state’s deficit in science and math teachers and the graying of teachers nearing retirement in those fields. UKanTeach provides a pathway for students to graduate with degrees in math and science and to obtain teaching licensure in four years. The program is projected to graduate 120 math and science teachers a year by 2014.
In the letter, university presidents and chancellors pledge “to substantially increase the number and diversity of high-quality science and mathematics teachers we prepare, and to build better partnerships among universities, community colleges, school systems, state governments, business and other stakeholders.” Thirty-nine institutions and three university systems also pledge in the letter to at least double the number of science and mathematics teachers graduated by 2015.
Gray-Little will be joined at the White House by the presidents of the universities of Colorado, Kentucky and Maryland system. They are representing the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.
The presentation is being made in conjunction with Obama’s second “Educate to Innovate” campaign event for excellence in science, technology, engineering and math education. At the event, the president will honor 100 educators — including Sherry Helus, a third-grade teacher in Wamego; DeAnn Swofford, a science teacher in Gardner; and Mary Beth Meggett, a KU graduate who teaches science in Charleston, S.C. — from across the country for awards received for excellence in mathematics and science teaching and mentoring. The event will be webcast at www.whitehouse.gov/live at noon CST.
Obama also will announce key new partnerships in his campaign to help reach his goal of moving American students from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade. In November, Obama announced a series of high-powered partnerships involving leading companies, foundations, nonprofit organizations and science and engineering societies dedicated to motivating and inspiring young people across America to excel in science and math.
Obama’s three overarching priorities for STEM education are
— Increasing STEM literacy so all students can think critically in science, math, engineering and technology
— Improving the quality of math and science teaching so American students are no longer outperformed by those in other nations
— Expanding STEM education and career opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women and minorities
The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.
kunews@ku.edu | (785) 864-3256 | 1314 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045
top