NSTA, the Council of State Science Supervisors (CSSS), and the National Science Education Leadership Association sent a letter to the Biden Education Transition Team last week.

To create the document, each organization asked members to share their aspirations for science and STEM education and their policy priorities for the coming year and beyond. The ideas submitted to the Education Transition Team are categorized across four key areas:

• Coherent Resources and Professional Learning for K-12 Science and STEM Learning;
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Science and STEM;
• Assessment and Accountability in Science; and
• Emphasis on the Value of Science.

Read the joint letter to the Biden Education Transition Team here.

Update on ED Transition

No word on the new Education Secretary yet, but media reports last week indicate that Lily Eskelsen García, former president of the National Education Association (NEA), is advocating strongly for the position, and is working to gain support from key Republican politicians and Hispanic leaders in Congress. More here.

Joint Statement from NSTA/NSELA/CSSS on OSTP STEM Education RFI

NSTA, NSELA and CSSS leaders also came together to discuss the OSTP STEM Education Request for Information and determine common points of interest in this area. They provided these answers to select questions to OSTP.  Read the response here.

Federal Support of STEM Education Outlined by ED

The U.S. Department of Education announced last week that during the last fiscal year, it has invested $578 million to support high-quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for students through its discretionary and research grants and that strong progress has been made implementing the Administration's five-year STEM education strategy.  Read more here.

Stay tuned, and watch for more updates in future issues of NSTA Reports.

Jodi Peterson is the Assistant Executive Director of Communications, Legislative & Public Affairs for the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and Chair of the STEM Education Coalition. Reach her via e-mail at jpeterson@nsta.org or via Twitter at @stemedadvocate.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.