Time to Act: Holt Amendment to Protect Teacher Science and Math Training

The House is expected to take up H.R. 800, the Ed-Flex bill, tomorrow, Wednesday, March 10. Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) will offer an amendment to H.R. 800 that would strengthen the emphasis on math-science teacher development. TODAY is the time to act if you wish to make your opinion known to your Representative regarding the Holt Amendment.

As reported in FYI #34 , there are bills in both the House and Senate to expand the Department of Education’s “Ed-Flex” program, which allows states to waive certain requirements for the use of federal education dollars. There is concern that the bill could lead to neglect of teacher training in science and math, which is supported primarily through the Eisenhower Professional Development program. The House bill, H.R. 800, was approved by the Committee on Education and the Workforce on March 3. Contrary to what was reported in FYI #34, an amendment was offered by freshman Rep. Holt, a physicist, to ensure that school districts receiving a waiver continue to support science and math teacher development. At the committee mark-up, Holt withdrew his amendment after the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Michael Castle (R-DE), agreed to work with him on the bill language.

However, a compromise was not found. Holt will now offer his amendment when the bill comes to the House floor on Wednesday, March 10. He has just issued a “Dear Colleague” letter seeking support from other Members for his amendment. If you want your Representative to support the Holt Amendment to H.R. 800, now is the time to let him or her know. To contact your Representative, call the House Switchboard at: (202) 225-3121.

The amendment, as offered on March 3, would insert the following language into the bill: “If applying for a waiver...the local education agency’s application for such waiver must include a description of how the professional development needs of its teachers in the areas of mathematics and science will be, or are being, met.”

The time is now. The House Switchboard number is (202) 225-3121. The issue is the Holt Amendment to H.R. 800, the Education Flexibility Partnership Act.

The text of the March 9 “Dear Colleague” letter to all House Members follows:

* * * * * *

Support Math and Science Teacher Training in Ed-Flex Bill

Dear Colleague:

This week, the House is expected to consider H.R. 800, the Education Flexibility Partnership Act. This bipartisan legislation is designed to give schools more flexibility in the administration of federal education programs.

As we give schools more flexibility, we should not inadvertently lose the successful priority given to math and science teacher training under the Eisenhower Professional Development Act.

I intend to offer a clarifying amendment to H.R. 800 that asks schools which are seeking to waive requirements to explain how they will keep their math and science teachers trained. It will preserve the importance of teacher training in math and science while still allowing schools to waive the math-science priority if they need help in other areas.

Consistent with the intent of the bill, this amendment allows each state to determine how the math-science priority will be enforced.

- The Eisenhower Act is the only universally available federal program that helps teachers become better trained in math and science. There are other federal programs for teacher training in other subject areas.

- The Eisenhower program is supported by Republicans and Democrats.

- Nearly every school district relies on the Eisenhower program for training their math and science teachers.

- The Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) results showed that U.S. 12th graders lagged below the international average in science and math. If students are going to be able to succeed in a global economy, they need teachers who are knowledgeable about these technical subjects.

My amendment would require local schools who are applying for a waiver of the math-science priority under the Eisenhower Act to demonstrate in their application how the professional development needs of their teachers in math and science will be, or already are being, met.

This amendment is supported by the President of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Teachers Association.