with teaching colleagues. Teachers are expected to spend at least 4 weeks at one of the DOE laboratories during the first year and at least 2 weeks at one of the laboratories for each of 2 years after that. If such a program were used to train two teachers from each of the 15,000 school districts in the country over a 10-year period, about 3,200 teachers each year would be brought into the 17 DOE laboratories, eventually reaching a 3-year steady state of 9,600 teachers. The Science and Mathematics Education Task Force of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board is currently reviewing such a proposal.²⁸

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also has an educational program whose focus is to “inspire and motivate students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.” It supports education in schools and also participates in informal education and public outreach efforts. NASA’s programs focus on increasing elementary and secondary education participation in NASA programs; enhancing higher education capability in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines; increasing participation by underrepresented and underserved communities; expanding e-education; and expanding NASA’s participation with the informal-education community. Among its activities for teachers and students are summer academies at its flight centers and workshops.²⁹

The second element of this implementation action would, through part-time 2-year master’s degree programs granted by the colleges of science and engineering (working with the colleges of education) at the nation’s research universities, enhance the education and skills of current middle and high school science, mathematics, and technology teachers as well as those with science, mathematics, and engineering degrees who decide to pursue teaching either upon graduation or later in their career.

The master’s in science education programs (identified for each specific field) would take place over three full-time summers plus alternate weekends during the academic year in science, mathematics, and technology education for current teachers. Over the course of 5 years, it would enhance the education and skills of 50,000 current science, mathematics, and technology teachers nationwide and qualify them for higher pay under existing rules in nearly all school districts.