Can Bush make America more competitive in math and science?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Love this title. Hmm I don't know. Can a chimpanzee write a symphony?

By Linda Feldmann | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON – Americans have heard the warnings for decades: The nation is in danger of falling behind other technological powerhouses in the world, posing a threat to its way of life. In the 1950s, it was the Soviet Union; in the 1980s, Japan. Now the big competitors are India and China.

President Bush's competitiveness initiative, outlined in his federal budget, would focus $136 billion over 10 years on boosting research and education. Much of that cost would come in the form of tax incentives for research and development; the rest represents new funding, including a doubling of the budgets of three federal agencies focused on science and technology.

The education piece of Mr. Bush's plan seems relatively small - $380 million in fiscal 2007 - but it is getting most of the attention. From that, $90 million would go to boost the ranks of students taking Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes in math, science, and foreign languages by training 70,000 additional teachers in those subject areas in high-poverty high schools.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0210/p01s04-legn.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Don't make me laugh

so much $$$ has to go into those stupid NCLB tests, so much class time is teaching to the test, that math and science are really and truly neglected. Only a few brave souls dare actually teach kids how to think mathematically or scientifically any more-the most important thing is to learn how to figure out which circle to color in on a test. Anyone out there do a job where all you do is color in little circles on a test? I didn't think so. And what Bush is doing is ruining education in our nation.

[JDPriestly]

8. What Bush cronies will get the contracts to prepare the materials

and train the teachers? Let's see if we can track this one.

[saltpoint]

2. Well, we can certainly rule out any gains in English. / nt

[jody]

3. Bush failed in every job he's ever held, his present job will be the same.

[leftstreet]

6. I hear he was pretty respected as a cheerleeder

:)

[liberal N proud]

7. Exactly

he has failed at this job from day one.

[AndyTiedye]

4. Stop Outsourcing The Jobs of Mathematicians, Scientists, and Engineers

In fact, since we don't really want to lose our competitive edge (what's left of it) in *any* industry, stop outsourcing altogether.

[Benhurst]

5. ...

:rofl:

[Ecumenist]

9. I don't know how...

Most people only have 10 finger and toes. Most mathematics have numbers that go above 20.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. Why bother? The riches are made in entertainment, real estate

banking, medical services, retail. Nobody wants to pay for engineers anymore. jr isn't going to be able to change that.

[emc]

12. you got that right

why would you want to got to school ---Im meaning collage,and then graduate school and spend time getting tenure and all the crap that goes along with it to make 75000 a year when you can become a rap singer, teenie diva, or talk show host and make millions----Im just glad that Im going to leave this world in the next ten years, dont want to be around to see what its all going to develop into---one thing I cant quite understand is how one guy (chimpy) can do so much damage to a country and a generation and no one seems to give a shit---it will take another generation to recover if it ever will---------this is not the horse in buggy days, we dont have time to rethink what has been done and reverse direction---------

[Demeter]

11. Maybe If He Died, and Took the GOP With Him

Yeah, reduce the population by the least productive 25 to 40% and let the scientifically literate fix things into workable shape...I could live with that.

[AndreaCG]

13. Yeah sure, by cutting education funds

while giving tax cuts to millionaires.

The usual Bizarro World tactics of this maladministration.