Congressman Larry Bucshon Comments on ESEA Reauthorization

Statement

Congressman Larry Bucshon (IN-08) released the following statement after the Committee on Education and the Workforce approved H.R. 3989, the Student Success Act and H.R. 3990, the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act on February 28, 2012.

Congressman Bucshon (IN-08) states:

"Strengthening our education system should be the goal of every Member of Congress; these two bills will do that by promoting the success of all students, holding teachers accountable, and streamlining the federal bureaucracies in education.

"I was glad to have worked with Chairman Kline and the committee to include language in the bill that encourages local school districts and states to hire teachers with professional experience in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The STEM workforce is exploding and is expected to continue to grow well into the future. From 2000 to 2010, STEM jobs grew nearly 8 percent. From 2010 to 2018, that increase is expected to jump to nearly 17 percent. This is why STEM education will be vital to the careers of the future, and what better way to encourage student participation than by putting before them teachers who have a passion and experience within STEM fields? Promoting STEM education, as we strive to upskill our nation's workforce, is an important step in meeting the demands of the future."

During Committee Markup of H.R. 3990, Chairman Kline stated:

"…Second, the substitute also specifies that when recruiting mid-level professionals to become teachers, states and school districts should also make an effort to seek experts in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. I appreciate Dr. Bucshon's work on this issue to encourage more STEM professionals in our classrooms."

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