David Ruskin Says...

In a time of economic crisis (or really any crisis), it is difficult to think too far into the future. Still, if America is to be a significant force in the scientific world of the future, we need to invest in our primary education system now, putting a particular emphasis on basic science education. We have to remember that science is a process -- often a long process -- and if we do not dedicate ourselves today to teaching our children how to think critically, rationally, pragmatically, then we will short ourselves our future scientific manpower. Putting money into research programs now is certainly useful, but in terms of long term advantage, let's begin by rethinking some of the funding structures implemented under the last administration, like NCLB, that provided support to schools, but only with a million strings attached.

Read more responses from The Rightful Place Project on Facebook

More like this

I had a great pleasure recently to be able to interview Senator - and now Democratic Presidential candidate - John Edwards for my blog. The interview was conducted by e-mail last week. As I am at work and unable to moderate comments, the comment section is closed on this post, but will be open…
In last night's address to the joint session of Congress, President Obama said: The third challenge we must address is the urgent need to expand the promise of education in America. In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer…
Nobel Laureate Richard Smalley said, "By the year 2010, 90 percent of the world's scientists and engineers will live in Asia." Right now, 85 percent of people being trained in the advanced physical sciences in the U.S. are here on temporary education visas from abroad. Many of them end up going…
"No Child Left Behind" was doomed to be a failure, because it was ill concieved, politically cynical, and underfunded. But like the War in Iraq, the Patriot Act and Tax Breaks for the Rich, and all the other initiatives of the Bush Administration that never should have happened, we have been…