Student Success Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak against H.R. 5 and its impacts on STEM education.

As a physicist and someone who started a business in my parents' basement that manufactures over half the theater lighting equipment in the United States and provides hundreds of jobs in the Midwest, I know firsthand the importance of STEM education and driving our Nation's innovation and competitiveness by generating new ideas, new companies, and new industries.

The impact of this underlying bill would be devastating to STEM education. Under H.R. 5, funding for STEM programs would be combined into a single block grant with 70 other education programs, with no requirements for a school district to actually spend any funding on STEM education.

I encourage a ``yes'' vote on the Miller substitute.

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Over the past 10 years, the number of STEM jobs has grown three times faster than non-STEM jobs.

What's more, out of 34 industrialized countries, the U.S. ranks 17th in science education and 25th in math education.

It is clear we should do more to improve STEM education and encourage students to pursue careers in the STEM fields.

Unfortunately, this Republican bill does just the opposite.

H.R. 5 would place all dedicated funding streams for STEM education into a block grant with no requirement that those funds actually be used for STEM education.

In addition, the Republican bill provides no support for the recruitment and training of teachers in the STEM fields, despite the fact that research has shown that the single largest factor in student success is a well-trained and high quality teacher.

The Miller amendment recognizes the enormous need for STEM education in this country and creates a comprehensive program for STEM education.

Under the Miller substitute, schools would have the requisite funding to develop STEM programs, curriculum, assessments, or professional development for teachers.

This amendment also addresses the skills gap in our current education system by requiring grant applicants to incorporate their state's STEM workforce needs into their programs.

This provision mirrors a component of the 21st Century STEM Competitive Jobs Act, which I've introduced with my friend Joe Courtney, a member of the Education and Workforce Committee.

This legislation was inspired by the Illinois Pathways to Prosperity Initiative, a program underway in my home state of Illinois that has greatly benefitted one of the cities in my district, Aurora, Illinois.

In Aurora, elementary educators, local employers, and institutions of higher education have come together to determine how to develop STEM courses that combine rigorous academics with strong technical education to equip students with the skills and credentials to succeed in STEM careers.

Like the Miller substitute, my legislation would create a competitive grant program for school districts that work with employers and an institution of higher education to further STEM education and encourage students to pursue careers in the STEM fields.

It provides students with workplace experience and college credit that will improve their ability to compete in the workplace while encouraging them to continue their education.

This type of program is already being successfully implemented at school districts in Illinois and across the nation.

If America hopes to maintain its position as the global leader in scientific and technological innovation, we must heed the call of our nation's business leaders and employers and provide our schools with the resources needed to improve our STEM education system.

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