Esty bill on tech education passes House

The House on Wednesday approved legislation co-authored by Rep. Elizabeth Esty that would expand computer science and other tech-related education in the K-12 years. The vote of 412-8 for the STEM Education Act was a rare example of bi-partisan support in an otherwise bitterly divided Congress.

STEM is an acronym for “science, technology, engineering and math.” It is Esty’s signature issue, built around the idea that the American education system needs to up the technical know-how of students so they can get the high-paying jobs in modern manufacturing that often go begging because young would-be applicants often  lack the proper skill set.

“The STEM Education Act of 2015 supports teachers who are preparing students to be the engineers, manufacturers, and scientists of tomorrow,” Esty said on the House floor shortly before the vote. “Any parent knows that it can be difficult to spark a child’s passion for STEM subjects without innovative and creative learning environments. With more and more jobs of the 21st century requiring STEM skills, we need to better prepare our children.”

Co-authored by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, the measure would expand grant opportunities for teachers of STEM subjects and widen existing STEM programs to include computer science education.  It also opens up informal STEM centers in museums, science centers, and after-school programs to federal STEM grants.

The bill must still pass the Senate before President Obama can sign it into law.

Daniel Freedman