Statement before the Senate Subcommittee on Education, United States Senate

Al Shanker comments on the Senate's investigation into math and science education in America. Because of students' low performance in these areas, the Senate was considering legislation to improve the situation. Shanker offers AFT's thoughts on what this legislation should accomplish. He lists four main targets for any legislation: math and science curriculum should be upgraded at all levels, not just for pre-college students; emphasis should be placed on early grade level teaching; teachers should be given on-the-job training, especially for early grades, to help improve students' grasp of math and science; and more teachers should be recruited. Shanker argues that some of the problems with current Senate legislation is its focus on higher grade levels and neglect of lower levels, and that it does not treat the teacher shortage appropriately.

	Attachment	(click to download)
	63.73.pdf	433.18 KB