K-12 Education: A Primer for Materials Researchers
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K-12 Education
in earth science. But the general equation of contemporary science education is: science = P + C + B—an absurdity that passes unchallenged. The state departments of education typically have some general power to specify the curriculum in broad terms. For example, after all the publicity on how badly the United States is doing, many states now require an "extra year of science." The professional organizations which tottering giant unable, for political reasons, run the "system" include: • The National Science Teachers Associato cope with its grave economic problems. tion (50,000 members), 3. From the world's undisputed leader in technology, the United States has become • National Association of Biology Teachers (60,000 members), one in the pack of nations with respect to civilian technologies. • Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (120,0000 members), 4. From a more egalitarian society, the United States is increasingly shifting to a • National Council of Teachers of Mathethird-world layering of rich and poor. The matics (70,000 members), and migration to the cities has intensified and • Two major teachers unions, the National been intensified by some of the above, and Education Association (NEA) and Amerithat reality has placed at least half of the can Federation of Teachers (AFT). U.S. children into poor school systems. Materials scientists and engineers who wish to change the system should realize 5. Six to seven hours a day of TV watchthe magnitude of the problem and the sysing by school age pupils.1 tem, and also the fact that hugh numbers 6. From the world's leading creditor na(NEA has 2,000,000 members) of our protion, the United States has, by far, gone to fessional colleagues know a great deal being the leading debtor nation, simultamore about how to engage the system conneously coping with a national debt servstructively for change than we do. ice load that is growing from a quarter to a third of the national annual budget.2 We must work with the teacher cadre from the beginning and with the teachers of teachers (professors of education in uniThe Education System versities), and the designers of curricula, Education is, in the United States, a state and the school boards and state agencies responsibility for funding and oversight. that set broad guidelines, if we are to have Most states, moreover, delegate an enora long-term, broad-based effect. mous amount of responsibility to the local school districts. Further, each state has a Alleged Failures of the U.S. virtually unique infrastructure for education. There are some 16,500 school districts Educational System in the United States. They spend some The media and lay-press have publicized $200 billion each year. In many states the the so-called failures of U.S. schools and local school boards are totally autonomous focused on one or two areas. However, with respect to curriculum, courses, etc. In these presentations grossly distort reality others (e.g., New York) they are somewhat in the view of the professionals in the fi
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