Rep. Matsui Statement on President Obama's Plan to Create a New National STEM Master Teacher Corps

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 18, 2012

CONTACT: JONELLE TRIMMER
(202) 225-7163

Rep. Matsui Statement on President Obama's Plan to Create a New National STEM Master Teacher Corps

Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-05), co-chair of the Congressional High-Tech Caucus and member of the Congressional STEM Education Caucus, issued the following statement today in response to President Obama's plan to create a new national, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Master Teacher Corps, comprised of some of the nation's finest educators in STEM subjects:

"American students are lagging behind many other nations in science and math. To remain competitive in this increasingly global economy, we must focus on training our workforce, especially in STEM fields. The new, STEM Master Teacher Corps announced today by President Obama is a first step toward addressing the substantial teacher shortage that exists in STEM fields today. These teachers will possess the deep content knowledge and strong teaching skills necessary to educate and prepare our students now, for the jobs of the future.

"I am a strong believer that we must invest in STEM education today in order to produce the innovators and inventers of tomorrow. In Sacramento, I have hosted a number of STEM panels at local high schools aimed at increasing interest in STEM fields. Particularly, we must advance and expand STEM education for young women, who continue to be underrepresented in the sciences. Women bring a different and important perspective to the table, and for our country to remain a leader in innovation, I believe it is critical that women are represented in STEM fields."

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