Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. letter to Nancy S. Grasmick, April 24, 2002

ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR. ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE ASSISTANT DEPUTY MAJORITY WHIP Congress of tfte Urnteb i£>tate£ i>o ийе of ^cpresentatitiES 0®ia£rt)mgtcin, Ш 20515-2002 April 24, 2002 (410) 284-6828 Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick State Superintendent of Schools Maryland State Department of Education 200 West Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD 21201-2500 Please accept my support for the Maryland State Department of Education’s application for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Math and Science Partnership Program grant. I am truly impressed with your innovative proposal, which takes the steps needed to improve math and science performance amongst our K-12 students. As you know, the Visionary Panel Report in Maryland introduced a set of new, forward- thinking ideas for accelerating the rate of success amongst our elementary and secondary students. Math and science proficiency will be critical to meeting the goals set out by the Visionary Panel. The MSDE’s multi-faceted plan, aided by the NSF’s grant, will put Maryland’' students and teachers on the fast track to success. Maryland’s students deserve the opportunity to participate and succeed in advanced math and science courses. Likewise, our teachers need access to increasingly rigorous math and science curriculum materials to help our students reach their full potential. I am pleased that the MSDE will seek to meet these challenges by providing: 1) a single, online curriculum portal for all K-12 teachers, which will provide an array of information related to classroom instruction; 2) increased certification for middle school teachers, which is required if they are to teach more rigorous content; and 3) an expanded number of Professional Development Schools where math and science teachers improve upon the pre-service skills that are so critical to success in the classroom. As an advocate of strong, community-based education reforms, I am proud of the MSDE’s record of close, consistent, and constructive teamwork with Maryland’s local education officials with respect to policy. I am pleased that this principle will serve as a centerpiece of your proposal. This fits will with President Bush’s own views with respect to education policy.