Stimulus Includes Funding for NSF Directorate for Education and Human Resources and Teacher Quality

To the surprise of nobody, the Congress passed the stimulus package agreed upon in committee which will now be signed by the President on Tuesday. Just as with the individual packages of each house of Congress, the votes were along party lines with no Republican votes in the House and three Republican votes in the Senate. The members of Congress were given little to no time to read the entire bill totaling slightly over 1000 pages, which is posted on the web in two sections. Just as it was written before, the stimulus package contains significant funding for education and scientific research.

There are several summaries of the bill on the web similar to the one Speaker Pelosi issued. Congressman Dave Obey (D-WI), Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, issued a summary that is slightly more descriptive,- in particular, it describes the National Science Foundation funding as:

$3 billion, including $2 billion for expanding employment opportunities in fundamental science and engineering to meet environmental challenges and to improve global economic competitiveness; $400 million to build major research facilities that perform cutting edge science; $300 million for major research equipment shared by institutions of higher e education and other scientists;$200 million to repair and modernize science and engineering research facilities at the nation’s institutions of higher education and other science labs; and $100 million to improve instruction in science, math and engineering.

Specifically, the bill provides $100 million to the Directorate for Education and Human Resources at the National Science Foundation.

The Obey summary also specifically mentions Improving Teacher Quality. Teacher quality is to receive:

$300 million, including $200 million for competitive grants to school districts and states to provide financial incentives for teachers and principals who raise student achievement and close the achievement gaps in high-need schools; and $100 million for competitive grants to states to address teacher shortages and modernize the teaching workforce.

$650 million for improvement in education technology also includes money for science labs.

The completion of the stimulus package has major significance for education and science and President Obama will shortly produce his first Presidential budget.