College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005

COLLEGE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - March 29, 2006)

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Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I wanted to thank the chairman for bringing this bill forward today. There are several provisions of it that are very important to our colleges and universities and the students that they serve, particularly in our Hispanic Serving Institutions, and the base bill strengthens those programs substantially.

The amendment that I am offering today deals with the teaching of math and science. In the bill there are provisions for education coordinating councils, which are educators, business, and community leaders at the local level that develop strategies to improve math and science education, drawing on the resources in the community. Not just the public funding that comes for the schools but things like universities, national laboratories, high-tech industry, giving kids the opportunity to see mathematics and science in action and connect them with the possibility of a career in science or mathematics.

What my amendment does is add to the kinds of things that can be used with these funds for these councils. It is based on legislation that I introduced in November of 2005, and what it really does is allow these councils to fund regional workshops of teachers and university professors and curriculum developers so that people can share information about the best techniques and the resources available for the teaching of mathematics and science and strengthening our ability to teach math and science, particularly in the elementary and secondary levels.

Sometimes teaching can be an isolating thing, particularly if you are in a rural community and maybe you are the only science teacher that serves all of one particular middle school. Certainly practice is important for teaching, but also interaction with one's colleagues is important. And that is why allowing these regional interactions for professional development is particularly important.

If I have a choice about the kind of school that I want my kids to go to, if I have a choice between the best, newest, most well-equipped school and a good teacher standing under a cottonwood tree, for my kids, I choose the good teacher standing under the cottonwood tree.

This amendment that I am offering today will help teachers become better teachers through interaction with their peers in the teaching of mathematics and science.

Mr. Chairman, I would ask my colleagues to support this amendment today.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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