The $33.6 billion question

Last week, President Bush signed the America COMPETES Act, allocating $33.6 billion more to math and science education over the next three years. It seems the harsh reality, that America's poor performance in math and science make us less competitive in today's global technology-driven market, has finally sunk in.

The bill includes increased government funding for science, technology, engineering, and math ("STEM" subjects), improved teacher recruitment and training, and authorizes numerous grant programs.

But some have argued that this "do as the others do" strategy ignores the other half of a "well-rounded" education. Many, like Checker, ask what about literature, art, music, history, civics and geography? Good question. All of these unique subject areas provide priceless skills and perspectives. None of which our education system should abandon. So really the $33.6 billion dollar question is the exact same one we've all been struggling with for generations: How do we create a balanced, well-rounded education system that benefits all students?

The reality is, there isn't one answer. And while I agree that we should continue the quest for as perfect a system as we can get, we also can't ignore the glaring fact that the U.S. is lagging behind our counterparts in essential math and science skills. The world isn't going to wait for us to figure our education system out. It will continue to evolve into its technological nature, and will require STEM skills for the increasingly inevitable jobs of the future.

We definitely need a full garden of bright, colorful and complimentary plants. But "adding leaves and flowers to STEM" sure helps our garden grow.