Write Your Representative for Science and Math Funding

My last post deals with low numbers of students going into science, math and engineering research as well as education. If you share my concern over the long-range implications of the current situation, please write to your U.S. Representative. There are two 'Dear Colleague' letters being circulated in the House we can get our representatives to sign, and build momentum to funding science and math programs in the Department of Education as well as full funding of the National Science Foundation (which provides numerous grants that drive our research programs around the country). Here are some details, courtesy of the NSTA:

"The deadline has been extended for U.S. Representatives to sign on to the two Dear Colleague letters in the House urging appropriators to provide increased funding for science and math education programs at the U. S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation.

73 Members of Congress have already signed the Dear Colleague letter (http://science.nsta.org/nstaexpress/nstaexpress_2006_03_20_ehlers.htm) sponsored by Representatives Ehlers, Holt, Udall, and Biggert seeking $562 million for math and science education programs at the U.S. Department of Education.

111 Representatives have signed Ehlers/Holt/Inglis/Lipinski letter (http://www.aip.org/fyi/2006/037.html) supporting $6.02 Billion for FY2007 programs at the National Science Foundation.

It is very important to get as many lawmakers as possible to sign these letters, as they are often barometers of support for a specific issue or funding request, so please take a minute to call or e-mail. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, and ask to be connected to your Representative’s office. To send an e-mail, go to http://thomas.loc.gov, and link to House of Representatives (link is located on the left hand side).

In your e-mail message, you can send the Dear Colleague letters to your elected Representative and ask him/her to sign on to these letters. If you call, ask to speak to the education aide and request that your Representative sign on to the Ehlers Dear Colleague letters for increased funding, then forward him/her the letters.

To view the list of Representatives who have already signed on to each letter, visit http://science.nsta.org/nstaexpress/nstaexpress_2006_03_20_list.htm. "