SCIENCE FICTION: Sure, we've got competitions, grants, all sorts of public support for STEM. But the irony, especially in California--home of the Silicon Valley--is that kids are consistently short-changed with science education, according to High Hopes--Few Opportunities, a report by the Sacramento-based Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd. The research team at the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley, surveying more than 1,100 elementary school teachers and administrators, found that only 10% of elementary students receive regular hands-on science experiments. Teachers often find themselves unprepared to teach the subject, citing a lack of professional development, materials, facilities, and time (81% pointed to the emphasis on English and math as an impediment). Even principals themselves admit the unlikelihood that their schools offer a high-quality science education. And although budget cuts constantly loom over the horizon, it's not simply a matter of money. We need innovation, re-prioritization, reform--or perhaps another Sputnik incident.
