Science Grads, Where Are You? (Intel chief bemoans US science edu)

Business Week ^ | 12/5 | Business Week

[voletti]

Intel Chairman Craig Barrett urges businesses to get involved in American education -- for their own sakes as well as the nation's. One of the highlights of my year each spring is getting to meet the 40 finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS) competition. Spending time with these high school seniors, I can't help but feel optimistic about the future of American ingenuity. Some of them may win Nobel prizes, Fields Medals, National Medals of Science, and MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grants." They may be teenagers, but the brilliance of their work makes my own PhD dissertation look dim in comparison. But their achievements do not tell the whole story about the American education system. The Intel STS finalists are the exception, not the rule. In fact, American K-12 students are consistently outperformed by their foreign counterparts on international math and science assessments.

ERODING RESOURCE. We also have a graduation gap: While the number of jobs requiring technical skills is increasing, fewer American students are entering -- and graduating from -- degree programs in science, math, and engineering.

Why does this matter? Science and technology are the engines of economic growth and national security in the U.S., and we are no longer producing enough qualified graduates to keep up with the demand. These graduates -- like the Intel STS students -- represent a resource vital to American competitiveness that is eroding at home while being produced more rapidly and efficiently abroad.

For the past three decades, about one-third of U.S. bachelor's degrees have been granted in science and engineering. Asian nations far outstrip that figure, with China at 59% in 2001, South Korea at 46% in 2000, and Japan at 66% in 2001.

[Brilliant]

Stop subsidizing law schools and start subsidizing the sciences.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

They don't call them "hard" sciences for nothing.

[EBH]

A recent conversation with a student entering the environmental field was very telling. She was too afraid to speak in front of groups of people and "the math was too difficult." I was compelled to tell her to get her act together and grow up a bit. Because if she didn't she wouldn't succeed.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Intel Chairman Craig Barrett urges businesses to get involved in American education

Out of the other side of his mouth Mr. Barrett is urging Congress to expand the H1B program...and not so his firm can hire the rare PhD-level computer scientists from India he claims to want, but so his firm and others can hire network administrators and IT staff at half price.

Young people hear that message, Mr. Barrett, and are planning their careers accordingly.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

Stop subsidizing law schools and start subsidizing the sciences.

Go back to teaching the basics, instill a little discipline, bring back competition and tests instead of this touchy-feely-we-can't-hurt-your-feelings-by-saying-you-failed crap.

[Paladin2]

Raise the pay for technical personnel and you might see something in a few years.

[Codeograph]

Gee Craig, you just announced today that you are investing 1 billion dollars in India. Maybe if you invested some of that money in the US so there would be jobs for these graduates to go to, you would have more people majoring in those fields

[The_Reader_David]

The problem is insoluble at the university level. Until K-12 education is fixed so that we stop giving a monopoly to 'ed majors' (who are generally math-phobic intellectual sluggards who picked the easiest major at their college or university) we have to waste too much time remediating the failures of the elementary and secondary schools to be able to turn out enough good college grads in technical fields.

Abolish the monopoly granted to colleges of education to prepare teachers, break the NEA, and, then (and only then) significantly raise teacher salaries, and we at the university level will be able to turn out plenty of scientists, engineers and mathematicians--we do a great job with the raw material the K-12 (or equivalent) systems abroad give us.

[ChildOfThe60s]

My sis-in-law's husband could not get a job at a picture frame making store because he can't add/subtact simple fractions.

My 17 year old niece can't tell time with an analog clock. Someone I was talking to recently told me they had supervision of a group of teenagers for some reason and discovered that about 50% must have a digital clock in order to determine the time.

These people are going to support us in our retirement??

[Mike Darancette]

Why would anyone want to be a scientist, engineer or IT professional? You work your way up to a good salary over the years then your job is outsourced or your company downsizes and your looking for work at Mickiey D's and competing with Mexicans.

[gaijin]

Need need to study how to make war on teachers' unions, somehow.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

On a recent flight, I sat next to a retired Qantas pilot. We had a fascinating conversation. He was saying modern pilots these day couldn't navigate from first principles even if their life depended on it. The pilots these days just accept the navigational data from the computer and that's it. Any kind of malfunction, and they're really screwed. I've been observing that most disciplines these days no longer teach the basics.

[Right Wing Professor]

Amen to what you said.

[Chickensoup]

The answer is SAXON math

[gaijin]

Another problem lies with US business; I think if they think they can hire a foreign national for just one dollar less than an American, they will.

Foreigners come here, get paid by US companies to create all kinds of weapons wizardry, which they gladly do.

Then they also sell it to their home countries, and third-party nations, too.

[Paladin2]

Start teaching hex in 1st grade.

[SmoothTalker]

Thats because our schools would rather fund things like ultra fancy dorms, gender studies classes, and GSA organizations than real academic programs.

[N3WBI3]

STOP EXPORTING JOBS TO INDIA!

Actually I think this occasional pissing and moaning Intel, and MS do is just show..

[SmoothTalker]

Sadly I think you are right. But where will we ever get the money to entice many good candidates into teaching K-12? I doubt we will. With or without the corrupt unions.

[Chickensoup]

Start teaching hex in 1st grade.
/
/
/
/
/
I suspect my leg is being pulled, you lucky dog!

[Paladin2]

When technical education becomes an issue for the 'Rats we'll know thing are finally looking up.

[Clemenza]

Fear not, Intelligent Design will make our children qualified to take on the Indians and Chinese! /sarcasm

[N3WBI3]

Raise the pay for technical personnel and you might see something in a few years.

The pay is already there, the job security is not..

[jude24]

My 17 year old niece can't tell time with an analog clock. Someone I was talking to recently told me they had supervision of a group of teenagers for some reason and discovered that about 50% must have a digital clock in order to determine the time.

Really? When I was in high school less than a decade ago, analog watches were popular.

[patton]

that's two easy.

[N3WBI3]

what does that have to do with anything? my belief in God and the correctness of the Bible in no way stopped me from mastering calculus and getting an Engineering degree..

[SteveMcKing]

I know fresh computer scientists making $25, and engineers making $40k. Those numbers were double years ago (anecdotally).

Do not lecture people on what's good for them careerwise, Mr. Intel Chairman. Offer them more, or find another job.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

I think if they think they can hire a foreign national for just one dollar less than an American, they will.

No, American kids just aren't being taught. I've been in situations where I was the hiring manager for a certain positions. The company was willing to spend $ dollars in training. If all the candidates (but 1) requires training (ie, basic math), which one would you pick? -- For economic reasons, those that didn't require training were picked. I also observed that the American kids generally were not performing as well -- NOT because they were stupid, they just weren't taught -- but we didn't have the time to each them.

No flames, please -- this was just business decisions.

[Codeograph]

That is CORRECT !!! I, with a math and physics degree, am not "qualified" to teach math or physics in a public school; but some dimwit education major who has taken a "survey" math course is more "qualified" than I am to teach.

[Chickensoup]

There is and never was any such thing as "job security." You make your life and your work what it is...by taking risks and living on the edge.

[Clemenza]

Its just that Intelligent Design is yet another attempt to incorporate nonscience into the hard sciences. Don't get me started on "environmental studies" either.

[ChildOfThe60s]

How about some parents that teach their kids how to tell time? Screw the schools.

These people that raise a kid to age 6 and send them off to public school with an emply head are at least as guilty.

As I told the superintendent of schools for my county, "My wife and I are the ones in charge of educating our child. You are here to assist us, not the other way around. We are the final arbitrators of what is best for her, not you." He was somewhat at a loss for words.

[PatrickHenry]

Thanks for the ping. I'm pinging a few others.

[N3WBI3]

Look I'm not asking for 25 years of guaranteed employment I am saying that when jobs are getting exported as fast as they are why invest time and money in those fields?

[N3WBI3]

Hey I dont consider evolution a hard science so whats the loss..

[mathluv]

It would help to have math people teach math, and science people teach science, from at least 4th grade. Too many 'liberal arts' or reading teachers teach these subjects K-8.

[ChildOfThe60s]

When I was in high school less than a decade ago, analog watches were popular

My information is certainly anecdotal, but over the last 20 years I have come across it too many times not to take it seriously.

[Chickensoup]

I agree with you. The local schools here consider Parent and Teachers Partners. Partners my chickenfoot! Teachers are the hired help and I am the determiner of my child's education.

Saxon Math is used in the better schools and many homeschools.

[Doctor Stochastic]

More like 7-12 rather then K-12. US K-6 students seem to do well compared to the rest-of-the-world.

Perhaps it would be good to have qualified teachers rather than certified teachers.

[Paladin2]

One of the best Science teachers I had in high school was an undergraduate engineering student who was about a week ahead of us in the textbook but had access to his Professors to answer questions he couldn't. (Don't ask how he ending up with the job - I think he was a semipermanent substitute teacher - It was in AL decades ago - the HS seniors drove the buses).

[Doctor Stochastic]

My 17 year old niece can't tell time with an analog clock.

"Bandits at 5 o'clock!"

[Euro-American Scum]

Science Grads, Where Are You? (Intel chief bemoans US science edu)

Gone to India, along with the companies that want the wage slaves that go along with them.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Someone always advocates earlier hex education.

[Right Wing Assault]

When I was in high school less than a decade ago, analog watches were popular.

Times change :-)

[Windsong]

Asian nations far outstrip that figure

Yet they use our tech and op systems. Go figure.

[Richard Kimball]

My daughter teaches remedial math, and several years ago, she told me high school doesn't prepare students for college math. Today she tells me high school doesn't prepare students for remedial math. She frequently has to spend a semester getting students to memorize the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division tables, before she can even start on the order of operations. They're frequently second semester before they can start on the remedial portion of the course.

However, colleges frequently spend money on everything BUT the hard sciences. Sports complexes, performance halls, statues, you name it. Don't even get me started on the liberal arts professors.

BTW, I knew one instructor who had a doctorate in Philosophy. He says it's probably the only advanced degree that actually reduces your income.

[Windsong]

These people are going to support us in our retirement??

What is wrong with supporting yourself?

[Paladin2]

I had to learn base 7. Better to learn Hex or higher.

[Doctor Stochastic]

I used to teach students how to make change (from the small coins up) so that they could keep the fries coming when the cash register failed.