New York State Governor Pataki Vows Additional Support for Maths and Science Teaching. (January 9, 2006)

    Last Wednesday New York State Governor George Pataki called for new math and science high schools and scholarships for future math and science teachers. Just exactly what resources will be allocated and when remains to be seen but throughout last week a number of specific proposals have been aired.

For example The Business Council of New York State, which has proposed $20,000 annual scholarships to lure the best students to teach science and math said it planned to work with the governor and the Legislature to reach the goal. "This is a long-term perspective that has to begin now," Edward Reinfurt, a council official, said yesterday.

Overall, proposals are coming from political leaders, the private sector and the state's public and private colleges. "There is a sudden awakening that this is a critical problem," said Richard Mills, New York's education commissioner, "and people in a position to do something are developing related strategies. It does not matter so much whose strategy is adopted."

The New York Times reports, "Matthew Goldstein, the chancellor of the City University of New York, is pressing for US$1 billion in capital investment in science and several hundred more professors as part of a new "Decade of Science."

    "CUNY's plan also includes scholarships for students who plan to teach math or the physical sciences, new science programs for high school students and a review of CUNY's doctoral programs by an outside panel led by the science dean at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    "Although the plan will require more money from the state, tuition increases and fund-raising, Dr. Goldstein said he was optimistic."

Meanwhile at the State University of New York Chancellor John Ryan says the university cannot handle all the students it would like in science and engineering and he wants change that. The Times was told that both Stony Brook University and the University at Buffalo have had to turn away many qualified engineering applicants. One official also said the university is exploring ways to attract more women and minorities into these fields, and to move more science and math majors into teaching.

And Abraham Lackman, president of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, an association of private institutions told the Times  his group of independent colleges will call for the creation of eight new math and science high schools, some operated by colleges, at a cost to the state of about US$8 million a year. He is also seeking a US$50 million annual loan-forgiveness program for engineering graduates who stay in New York (US$10,000 a year for up to five years) and US$10 million a year in scholarships for students who agree to teach math or science in New York (up to US$10,000 a year for five years).

What seems to be happening in the United States is that a growing number of officials are becoming "windy" that, as expressed by Long Island Republican State Senator Kenneth LaValle, "The challenge this country has always met before is innovation, but India and China are going to take it away from us."

All this is somewhat reminiscent of the effect of Russia's launch of the first sputnik on October 4, 1957.