UCSC Press Release: Chancellor to attend AAAS board meeting

UCSC NAV BAR

December 15, 1999
Contacts: Elizabeth Irwin (831) 459-2495; emirwin@cats.ucsc.edu
Tim Stephens (831) 459-2495; stephens@cats.ucsc.edu
UC Santa Cruz Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood focuses on science education issues at AAAS board meeting in San Jose
For Immediate Release
SANTA CRUZ, CA--The Board of Directors of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meets this week in San Jose to focus on the issue of science education, a top priority of the board's chair, UC Santa Cruz Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood. The board's agenda includes a series of panel discussions on education, one of which will address the educational issues and workforce needs of the Silicon Valley.
Greenwood expressed her concern about the state of science education earlier this year at the AAAS annual meeting in Anaheim, where she delivered the presidential address. An article adapted from that speech appears in the December 10 issue of the association's journal, Science. In the article, Greenwood urges scientists to become directly involved in efforts to improve science education and the public's understanding of science.
While recent discoveries and advances give scientists ample cause to celebrate, the United States may be slipping behind other nations in its ability to inspire and educate the next generation of scientists and engineers, Greenwood said.
"We can already see indications that the next generation is not receiving the preparation necessary to maintain the excellence that U.S. science currently enjoys," she said, pointing to the results of recent surveys that show, for example, U.S. 12th graders near the bottom in international comparisons of science and math ability.
The educational challenges and solutions of the Silicon Valley provide a unique context for the AAAS board to engage in a dialogue on issues of broad interest to the science and technology community, industry, and educators, Greenwood said. The board meeting, held on Friday and Saturday, December 17-18, is not open to the public.
Greenwood will moderate the panel on Silicon Valley educational issues. Panelists will include Carl Guardino, president of the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group; Robert Caret, president of San Jose State University; Leo Chavez, chancellor of Foothill-De Anza Community College District; Susan Hammer, former mayor of San Jose; and Michael Englehardt, CEO of Technology Network. Other panels will address educational outreach efforts and the role of museums in education.
The AAAS has a long history of involvement in education and workforce issues. In the 1960s and early 1970s, AAAS was actively involved in the development of school curricula and teacher training. In 1985, the AAAS board launched an initiative in science education reform called Project 2061, which has produced widely used standards-based guidelines for teaching science and mathematics.
In her presidential address and subsequent Science article, Greenwood has proposed a new AAAS program called "Project 20/20" to encourage scientists, engineers, and other scientifically literate professionals to get directly involved in education issues by serving on school boards. Project 20/20 would sustain and support these school board members with information and advice to help them protect and enhance scientific content and accuracy in schools.
"There is a tremendous opportunity to be a positive influence and to touch the widest possible array of the public by helping to determine such essential issues as curriculum reform, textbook choice, and pedagogy," Greenwood said. "The need for this influence was forcefully demonstrated by the recent assaults on science education in Kansas and Illinois, where creationism has been added to state school board-approved curricula."
Greenwood acknowledged that concern over science education and public understanding of science is hardly new. She also noted the many valuable education initiatives undertaken by scientific organizations, universities, government agencies, and industries. Nevertheless, she said, scientists need to reexamine their own behavior and enterprises in light of the needs of the broader society.
"We are living in a dynamic time in which our personal and professional lives change rapidly," Greenwood said. "Education for our children, and lifelong education for all of us, must be paramount in this evolving era."
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Note to editors and reporters: Attendance at this week's meeting of the AAAS Board of Directors is by invitation only. Reporters who wish to attend may arrange to do so. Chancellor Greenwood will also be available for interviews. To attend the meeting or arrange an interview, contact Elizabeth Irwin in the UCSC Public Information Office at (831) 459-2495 or emirwin@cats.ucsc.edu.
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December 15, 1999 Contacts: Elizabeth Irwin (831) 459-2495; emirwin@cats.ucsc.edu Tim Stephens (831) 459-2495; stephens@cats.ucsc.edu UC Santa Cruz Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood focuses on science education issues at AAAS board meeting in San Jose For Immediate Release SANTA CRUZ, CA--The Board of Directors of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meets this week in San Jose to focus on the issue of science education, a top priority of the board's chair, UC Santa Cruz Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood. The board's agenda includes a series of panel discussions on education, one of which will address the educational issues and workforce needs of the Silicon Valley. Greenwood expressed her concern about the state of science education earlier this year at the AAAS annual meeting in Anaheim, where she delivered the presidential address. An article adapted from that speech appears in the December 10 issue of the association's journal, Science. In the article, Greenwood urges scientists to become directly involved in efforts to improve science education and the public's understanding of science. While recent discoveries and advances give scientists ample cause to celebrate, the United States may be slipping behind other nations in its ability to inspire and educate the next generation of scientists and engineers, Greenwood said. "We can already see indications that the next generation is not receiving the preparation necessary to maintain the excellence that U.S. science currently enjoys," she said, pointing to the results of recent surveys that show, for example, U.S. 12th graders near the bottom in international comparisons of science and math ability. The educational challenges and solutions of the Silicon Valley provide a unique context for the AAAS board to engage in a dialogue on issues of broad interest to the science and technology community, industry, and educators, Greenwood said. The board meeting, held on Friday and Saturday, December 17-18, is not open to the public. Greenwood will moderate the panel on Silicon Valley educational issues. Panelists will include Carl Guardino, president of the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group; Robert Caret, president of San Jose State University; Leo Chavez, chancellor of Foothill-De Anza Community College District; Susan Hammer, former mayor of San Jose; and Michael Englehardt, CEO of Technology Network. Other panels will address educational outreach efforts and the role of museums in education. The AAAS has a long history of involvement in education and workforce issues. In the 1960s and early 1970s, AAAS was actively involved in the development of school curricula and teacher training. In 1985, the AAAS board launched an initiative in science education reform called Project 2061, which has produced widely used standards-based guidelines for teaching science and mathematics. In her presidential address and subsequent Science article, Greenwood has proposed a new AAAS program called "Project 20/20" to encourage scientists, engineers, and other scientifically literate professionals to get directly involved in education issues by serving on school boards. Project 20/20 would sustain and support these school board members with information and advice to help them protect and enhance scientific content and accuracy in schools. "There is a tremendous opportunity to be a positive influence and to touch the widest possible array of the public by helping to determine such essential issues as curriculum reform, textbook choice, and pedagogy," Greenwood said. "The need for this influence was forcefully demonstrated by the recent assaults on science education in Kansas and Illinois, where creationism has been added to state school board-approved curricula." Greenwood acknowledged that concern over science education and public understanding of science is hardly new. She also noted the many valuable education initiatives undertaken by scientific organizations, universities, government agencies, and industries. Nevertheless, she said, scientists need to reexamine their own behavior and enterprises in light of the needs of the broader society. "We are living in a dynamic time in which our personal and professional lives change rapidly," Greenwood said. "Education for our children, and lifelong education for all of us, must be paramount in this evolving era." ##### Note to editors and reporters: Attendance at this week's meeting of the AAAS Board of Directors is by invitation only. Reporters who wish to attend may arrange to do so. Chancellor Greenwood will also be available for interviews. To attend the meeting or arrange an interview, contact Elizabeth Irwin in the UCSC Public Information Office at (831) 459-2495 or emirwin@cats.ucsc.edu. ##### Press Release Home \| Search Press Releases \| Press Release Archive \| Services for Journalists
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