Message From the Chair
As we gear up for the 2008 Education Crisis Summit, I like to thank all the volunteers that made the Competitiveness Crisis Council 2007 Summit a success. Since them we have achieved several accomplishments in the areas of policy, leadership, advocacy, teacher training and STEM funding I would like to highlight.
Policy
The message delivered by the Congressional Hearing panel was a major accomplishment for the Competitiveness Crisis Council. This achievement marks the first significant advocacy milestone in which the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math education is conveyed to Washington policy makers. This accomplishment was highlighted at the STEM Teacher Training meeting at Cal Poly SLO in April and the Baker Forum at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in May 2008. The CCC leadership is planning trips to Sacramento with the California Council on Science and Technology and other business leaders to advocate for policy that implements STEM programs in California.
Leadership
The 2007 Summit brought panels with corporate leaders such as Rebecca Rhoads, CIO, Raytheon; Greg Lee, Executive Vice President, Fluor; Ron Smith, Vice President, Northrop Grumman; and Jai Menon, Vice President, IBM. Since the Summit, I have been invited to join the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo President's Cabinet. At the last Cabinet meeting in May, the Competitiveness Crisis Council was highlighted as a leading advocate for STEM due to the success of the 2007 summit.
Advocacy
On February 2008, Manual Arts High School, John Santos contacted the CCC with a request to intervene with the Los Angeles Unified School District action to discontinue one of the schools most critical programs. This action came at a critical time when the students were preparing for the greatest number of competitions such as the Science Bowl, JETS/Team Engineering Exam, The MESA Math Competition, the Solar Boat Race, U.S. First Robotics competition, and the PIASC Academic Technical Decathlon. The CCC activated its network and sent a stream of protest letters to LAUSD that resulted in the program being reinstated within several days.
Teacher Training
The CCC has formed a partnership with the Copernicus Project, based out of the University of California Riverside. Through this partnership, the CCC has been able to mediate a liaison between the University of California system and the California State University system to integrate their approaches for state-wide teacher development. The Copernicus Project has also agreed to host teacher training sessions on inquiry-based learning at the upcoming Education Crisis Debate Summit.
STEM Funding
Congress recently created a significant pot of funding for HSIs engaged in the STEM disciplines. The legislation is called the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA). The CCC and Cal Poly are preparing to submit a proposal for funding in June. As part of our submission, the results of the September CCC conference will be used to illustrate Cal Poly Pomona’s support strategy as well as its involvement in addressing the need in the STEM areas.
The Education Crisis Summit is gaining rapid recognition and we have already received emails from organizations interested in hosting workshops such as the Space Foundation and the Los Angeles Department for Water and Power. I hope you join us once again at the 2008 Education Crisis Summit.
Regards,
Mitchell Suarez
Competitiveness Crisis Council
Chair