Post by title1parent on Dec 31, 2010 10:35:01 GMT -5
beaconnews.suntimes.com/opinions/3004027-474/math-science-aurora-state-editor.html
Three-fifths of a group of children who are struggling in math and science are boys. If there are 24 boys, how many children are there in the group?
Math questions like these (found at onlinemathlearning.com) are enough to make a grown man squirm — but they are the absolute delight to those who are passionate about math.
Aurora University has found that although the passion for math and science exists in our communities — it is not transforming into results.
Aurora is not alone — a recent report shows that the United States ranks 25th in the world in math and 17th in the world in science.
That’s one of the main reasons why Aurora University wants to start a charter school on its campus with a focus on math and science to help educate a new generation of students and teachers who are passionate about math and science.
We have great students and teachers here in the Fox Valley, but with this emphasis on math and science, they can become better leaders in those subjects around here, the state and the world.
The AU charter school will serve approximately 500 students in grades three through eight.
The four school districts who have agreed to participate in the charter (West Aurora, East Aurora, Indian Prairie and Oswego) are supportive and so is the mayor of Aurora, the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce, Google, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Quad County Urban League, among many others.
State Rep. Linda Chapa La Via, and state Sen. Linda Holmes and I are working together with our fellow legislators on both sides of the aisle to pass legislation in January to make this a reality for our region. After this is implemented here, I happen to believe it has the potential to be duplicated in our state and perhaps the country.
We must be innovative in our approach and support public-private partnerships that are striving to help make a difference.
The kids are counting on us — including the 24 boys and 16 girls struggling in math and science in the math problem above—for a total of 40 in the original group.
That wasn’t so hard was it?
Rep. Tom Cross, R-Oswego, is llinois House Minority Leader
Three-fifths of a group of children who are struggling in math and science are boys. If there are 24 boys, how many children are there in the group?
Math questions like these (found at onlinemathlearning.com) are enough to make a grown man squirm — but they are the absolute delight to those who are passionate about math.
Aurora University has found that although the passion for math and science exists in our communities — it is not transforming into results.
Aurora is not alone — a recent report shows that the United States ranks 25th in the world in math and 17th in the world in science.
That’s one of the main reasons why Aurora University wants to start a charter school on its campus with a focus on math and science to help educate a new generation of students and teachers who are passionate about math and science.
We have great students and teachers here in the Fox Valley, but with this emphasis on math and science, they can become better leaders in those subjects around here, the state and the world.
The AU charter school will serve approximately 500 students in grades three through eight.
The four school districts who have agreed to participate in the charter (West Aurora, East Aurora, Indian Prairie and Oswego) are supportive and so is the mayor of Aurora, the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce, Google, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Quad County Urban League, among many others.
State Rep. Linda Chapa La Via, and state Sen. Linda Holmes and I are working together with our fellow legislators on both sides of the aisle to pass legislation in January to make this a reality for our region. After this is implemented here, I happen to believe it has the potential to be duplicated in our state and perhaps the country.
We must be innovative in our approach and support public-private partnerships that are striving to help make a difference.
The kids are counting on us — including the 24 boys and 16 girls struggling in math and science in the math problem above—for a total of 40 in the original group.
That wasn’t so hard was it?
Rep. Tom Cross, R-Oswego, is llinois House Minority Leader