E-Newsletter 7/20/12

Statement

Dear Friends,

Throughout my career at Southampton College and in Congress, I have worked to expand access to high quality, affordable higher education. A college degree has been the key to the middle class for generations of Americans, and America's leadership in the global economy depends on a highly skilled, highly educated workforce.

But it is vital to make sure students are graduating from high school with the tools to succeed in college, especially in the critically important fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). That is why I introduced legislation (H.R. 2598) to create a "STEM Master Teacher Corps" to better cultivate and retain highly effective K-12 STEM teachers to train our future workforce.

This week, I was very pleased that the Administration announced its initiative to support top educators by dedicating $100 million of the existing Teacher Incentive Fund to helping school districts implement high-quality plans to establish career ladders that identify, develop, and leverage highly effective STEM teachers.

The White House action is a good start, but my legislation is a comprehensive, long-term plan supported by more than 60 education groups, businesses, and other organizations, including 3M, Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Lockheed Martin, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the Rural School and Community Trust.

We all know the enormous impact great teachers have on student achievement. Investing in this critical workforce will help grow the next generation of innovators in the STEM fields--the Bill Gates and Steve Jobs of tomorrow--right here in America. I hope to report progress on this critical legislation soon and I will continue my leadership in education to ensure America's students have the tools they need to succeed in the global economy.

Sincerely,

Congressman Tim Bishop
First District of New York

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