AASD is at the Forefront of STEM Education

While the number of jobs in science, technology, engineering and math — or STEM — outpaces overall job growth, just 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in math and interested in a STEM career. The educational community alone cannot overcome this challenge; Secretary Perez said in his keynote remarks on Jan. 8 at Discovery Communications, Inc.'s Silver Spring, Md., headquarters. Perez discussed "a four P" approach to addressing the challenge: partnerships that bring diverse stakeholders to the table, pipelines of skilled talent that help employers grow, practical experience to enhance classroom training, and tangible possibilities that a STEM education can offer. After Perez's remarks, local TV news anchor Aaron Gilchrist moderated a panel discussion on the importance of math and science education. The panel included Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Portia Wu and actress Danica McKellar who, after her breakout role in TV's "The Wonder Years," majored in math at UCLA and wrote four best-selling books to help young women break down preconceived notions about math. Before the event began, Perez toured Discovery's on-site child care and wellness facilities, two employee services that helped the company earn its "Best Places to Work" status fromWorking Mother magazine and others.

Note:  Austin Area School District, Austin, Pennsylvania, the smallest public school in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was one of the first schools in the area to adopt STEM.