[Edu-sig] Microsoft's KPL

[Arthur]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kirby Urner [mailto:urnerk at qwest.net]
> Sent: Friday, October 07, 2005 6:26 PM
> To: 'Arthur'; 'Laura Creighton'
> 
> NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF STATE SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS COALITIONS
> News Brief #3285 Category: Business Role in Education
> TITLE: "Companies Unveil Projects to Improve Math, Science Learning"

> 
> Two major corporations are investing millions of dollars in programs
> intended to improve math and science learning.
> 
> The General Electric Foundation will distribute $100 million in grants
> over
> the next five years to raise math and science scores in up to five school
> districts.

Maybe the GE Foundation is a legitimate foundation doing legitimate
foundation work. Great the ways those things happen.

Henry Ford was a dangerous anti-Semite. He assured his right to free speech
by buying a newspaper just for that purpose.  God bless him.  

The Ford Foundation does consistently interesting things.

But is the GE Foundation contributing to gender unfairness by directing its
largess toward math and science curriculum ;)

Perhaps the fact that we will apparently have what I think is our 1st
mathematician on the Supreme Court (undergraduate degree of Miers) who is
also our second women on the Supreme Court will play some small part in
muting that nonsense.

Back to David's point.  There is no denying that there is politics alive in
the public schools hurting education.  As a damn good "for example" would be
the notion that math and science, according to some vocal segment, needing
to be de-emphasized in the interest of gender fairness.  I have heard that
in PythonLand as well. Arghhh. Certainly I would not be in a position to be
the kind of administrator willing to work with and within *everybody's*
sensitivities.

Again, personal frame of reference:

I have a sister who can out think me as a mathematician while whistling
Dixie.

Art

> 
> The Jefferson County, Kentucky school district is the first to receive a
> $25-million grant. The district plans to use the money for a new
> districtwide curriculum, additional professional development, and
> community
> engagement efforts.
> 
> The IBM International Foundation will pay college tuition costs for up to
> 100 employees who want to train as math and science teachers. In order to
> participate in the "Transition to Teaching" program, employees will have
> to
> have a bachelor's degree in math or science (or a higher degree in a
> related
> field), some teaching experience, and at least 10 years of employment at
> IBM.
> 
> The U.S. Department of Labor has predicted a 51-percent increase in jobs
> related to science, engineering and technology between 1998 and 2008. More
> than a quarter-million secondary math and science teachers will be needed
> by
> the 2008-09 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
> 
> SOURCE: Education Week, 28 September 2005 (p. 06)
> WEBSITE: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2005/09/28/05ibm.h25.html
> 
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