As school gets underway this year, it’s not just the typical yellow school bus that can be seen on the road, but the big blue bus of the U.S. Department of Education, as well.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Department of Education is sponsoring a traveling Back-To-School bus tour that provides open discussions with students, teachers, parents and local leaders on the challenges and successes of education initiatives. The three-day bus tour included stops in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama to encourage students to make the most of their educational opportunities.
This year’s tour — called “Partners in Progress,” with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on board — stopped in Huntsville on Sept. 9 for Duncan’s participation in a town-hall meeting highlighting STEM learning experiences and the importance of recruiting and retaining teachers with these skills. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math. He also got a first-hand look at the unique student opportunities provided by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and its official visitor center, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
When asked his thoughts on the NASA-themed activities at the Space & Rocket Center, Duncan said he was amazed to see the impact these facilities have on young people’s learning. “This is an extraordinary learning opportunity for kids,” he said. “I want to bring my own two kids. We need young people to have this kind of exposure and to know that there is this world of opportunity.”
After viewing the facilities with Donald James, NASA associate administrator of education; Marshall Center Director Patrick Scheuermann; and Dr. Deborah Barnhart, CEO of the Space & Rocket Center, Duncan participated in a panelist discussion at the town-hall meeting. Held inside the Davidson Center at the Space & Rocket Center, the meeting allowed nearly 200 students and teachers from area schools to ask panel members questions.
In addition to the education secretary, other panelists included NASA astronaut and two-time spacewalker Ricky Arnold, a former math and science teacher; Morgan Wagner, a high school student from Grissom High School in Huntsville; and Charlesvester Wims, a senior at Alabama A&M University in Huntsville.
Questions ranged from how to reverse stereotypes such as girls can’t be successful in certain subjects, to the importance of dual enrollment for high school students, to how to add technology to school systems.
“We love schools moving from textbooks to technology,” said Duncan. “Stop spending money on books and start spending them on laptops and tablets. We’re spending $9 billion a year on textbooks and many of those books are obsolete by the time they hit your desk.”
In response to the dual enrollment question — a program allowing high school students to also take collegiate courses during the school day — Duncan suggested that regardless of living in rural, urban or suburban environments, students should have dual enrollment access. However, many high schools can’t afford to provide it.
“We need to make those kind of opportunities the norm and not the exception,” he said. “We want students with a world-class, well-rounded education. It’s about putting options on the table. I think education is an investment. It’s the best investment we can make in our kids.”
NASA astronaut Arnold shared his advice on choosing career paths that best fit student interests. “NASA is an exciting place to go to work everyday. I look forward to going in every morning because every day is different and every day is exciting,” said Arnold. “Pursue what you are passionate about. Science and math can be hard, but you will get through it and do amazing things.”
Duncan echoed Arnold’s comments. “Ricky is a really smart and confident guy. Everyone has a passion,” said Duncan. “You may not know it today, but keep looking for that and when you find it, pursue it with everything you have.”
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Chris Blair, an ASRC Federal/Analytical Services employee, supports the Office of Strategic Analysis & Communications.