Where is Our Next Sputnik?

I couldn't have agreed more with Thomas Frieman's article "What's Our Sputnik?" (January 10, 2010).  I think the priorities of our country have shifted far from helping and supporting those within our own country and set a priority with handling the problems of those overseas. I do not disagree with supporting our global neighbors, but think it has been at the expense of the infrastructure in our own country.

President Bush enacted No Child Left Behind, but failed to supply the funding necessary to ensure districts focused on more than these two content areas. Since its inception, US school have fallen further behind in science test scores compared with European and Asian countries (Banchero, 2011).  Science is not an isolated subject:  it has application in medicine, farming, and bridge building. In addition to keeping science testing out of NCLB, districts have left it behind as far as adequately supplying facilities and technology. How can we expect to raise scientifically literate citizens prepared for a global economy, when educators are not able to provide experiences necessary to support them?

In addition to lags in education, businesses are falling behind because other countries are offering better incenctives to send US companies overseas (Carey, 2010).  To make ourselves more competitive, the government must partner with businesses, workers, educators, and other countries to best utilize the human resources available supporting the vitality of our citizens. There does not seem to be a Sputnik spurring us on in this moment. LIke Friedman, I believe we are being driven by overseas oil supplies and terrorist groups instead of by what is best for the people. Until priorities are shifted, the United States will continue to fall further behind in education, business and world leading nations.

Banchero, S. (2011, January 26). Students score poorly on science test. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704698004576103940087329966.html
Friedman, T. L. (2010, January 17). What’s our Sputnik? [Op-Ed]. The New York Times [Late Edition (East Coast)], p. WK.8.
Carey, W.P. (2010, May 19). Will the U.S stay globally competitive? It depends. Know WPC. Retrieved from http://www.knowwpcarey.com/article.cfm?aid=122