If you can raise your voice to help...if you are a Massachusetts resident or educator speak up...
Reg
location: back to the wilderness
listening to: static
registered: 1999.11.22
posts: 6470
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Sorry I have not been around much lately but I've been fairly tied up with a bunch of things. This is one of those things and it is one all of you can help me with if you feel like it. I am certainly attempting to appeal to folks that live in Massachusetts, I don't know how many of us are here outside of Smorely and myself, but everybody here can participate.
Here's what I'm asking, after 17 years of providing the best possible educational opportunity to some of the top math and science students in the state the Massachusetts House of Representatives added a line item to their current budget to eliminate the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science. Mass Academy is a public school that through a one of a kind partnership with a private university (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) allows the top math and science students to apply to attend the academy in their junior year of high school and then in their senior year take university classes at WPI. It is not only one of the most amazing educational opportunities available but also one of the most cost effective economically as WPI allows these students to attend their university at only a $7000.00 charge per student to the state.
In a time when all we hear about is bad investments and people decrying the state of education in this country, here is a school and a program that functions at a level we might think only possible in our dreams and doing so at the meager budget of a little more than 1.2 million dollars. These students and this school are one of the best investments we could possibly make for our future. If you understand the value of math and science in terms of solving our future challenges you know exactly what I am trying to communicate here.
As just one example this year I donated materials to students who were working on the following project:
Small Scale Solar Thermal Electrical Chemical Fuel Generator – cogeneration system
and in the process was made aware of some of the other ongoing projects which included:
Medication list entry yielder – a computer program created by a student for doctors to use.
Fueling the future: Comparing the viability of invasive plants as ethanol fuel.
Creating a device to help an individual woman with MS zip up her coat.
Devices to help the elderly with arthritis.
Believe it or not this is just a small sample of the work being done by students at Mass Academy. These are not projects that their sending schools could help them undertake. On top of this the walls of the academy are covered with awards the students have won with their internationally renowned (yes, I said internationally) robotics team. Each year they regularly dominate robotics competitions at the state, national, and international level.
On top of all this the students and faculty of Mass Academy provide thousands of hours of community service and professional development programs each year. The students doing everything from helping the elderly, disabled, and less fortunate in their community, as well as teaching younger students about math and science and the faculty offering programs to assist educators from other schools and states to improve the level of education in their schools and communities and operating a visiting scholar program for educators.
What I'm saying is this is not just an investment but a natural resource that pays dividends today as well as providing hope for our future.
Anybody that believes that saving a public school that provides a unique educational opportunity for students that excel in the fields of math and science is welcome to pitch in.
This does not require donating any money just a few seconds of your time to sign up as a supporter at this website:
http://savetheacademy.org/
and if you feel like it you can post a comment or two with your thoughts.
If you live in Massachusetts I ask a bit more of you. Please write or call at least these two state legislators:
Robert DeLeo, Speaker of the House
Call: 617-722-2500
E-Mail: [email protected]
Charles Murphy, Chair of the House Ways & Means Committee
Call: 617-722-2990
E-Mail: [email protected]
and any other local political contacts you feel can be helpful, to let them know what a terrible idea it would be to close a public school like Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science.
In terms of full disclosure here, Julia is a faculty member at Mass Academy but I would be part of the effort to save this school even if she were not. In all honesty it makes no sense to me to close a school that achieves at the highest level possible and contributes so much to the community and our dreams of a better future.
It seems even more insane to close a public school like this when we know that what this country needs right now is more people in the fields of math and science to address the problems that face us and to help the US compete in this pathetic global economy. In fact what they should be considering is how to create more schools and programs like this, not cutting them. Mass Academy should be the model not the victim.
Thanks for reading this and thanks in advance for any effort you make. If anybody needs or wants to contact me about this please PM me and I will provide my email or phone number so you can speak to me directly.
http://www.massacademy.org/
-----------------------------------------
Representative Vincent Pedone (Worcester) has introduced an amendment to the house budget to continue funding Mass Academy.
WE NEED YOUR HELP CONTACTING LEGISLATORS TO LOBBY SUPPORT FOR THIS AMENDMENT!
You may find a list of legislators by city/town here:
http://www.mass.gov/legis/city_town.htm
E-MAIL AND CALL YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE TODAY!
Personal letters are encouraged in e-mails, but make sure you call and say that you support Representative Pedone's amendment to continue funding the Mass Academy of Math and Science!
--------------------------------------------------------
–--
'The only way to avoid getting crushed by absurdity, is to humbly include the absurd in our calculations.'
'The only way to avoid getting crushed by absurdity, is to humbly include the absurd in our calculations.'
Reg
(view)
Sorry I have not been around much lately but I've been fairly tied up with a bunch of things. This is one of those things and it is one all of you can help me with if you feel like it. I am certainly attempting to appeal to folks that live in Massachusetts, I don't know how many of us are here outside of Smorely and myself, but everybody here can participate.
Here's what I'm asking, after 17 years of providing the best possible educational opportunity to some of the top math and science students in the state the Massachusetts House of Representatives added a line item to their current budget to eliminate the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science. Mass Academy is a public school that through a one of a kind partnership with a private university (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) allows the top math and science students to apply to attend the academy in their junior year of high school and then in their senior year take university classes at WPI. It is not only one of the most amazing educational opportunities available but also one of the most cost effective economically as WPI allows these students to attend their university at only a $7000.00 charge per student to the state.
In a time when all we hear about is bad investments and people decrying the state of education in this country, here is a school and a program that functions at a level we might think only possible in our dreams and doing so at the meager budget of a little more than 1.2 million dollars. These students and this school are one of the best investments we could possibly make for our future. If you understand the value of math and science in terms of solving our future challenges you know exactly what I am trying to communicate here.
As just one example this year I donated materials to students who were working on the following project:
Small Scale Solar Thermal Electrical Chemical Fuel Generator – cogeneration system
and in the process was made aware of some of the other ongoing projects which included:
Medication list entry yielder – a computer program created by a student for doctors to use.
Fueling the future: Comparing the viability of invasive plants as ethanol fuel.
Creating a device to help an individual woman with MS zip up her coat.
Devices to help the elderly with arthritis.
Believe it or not this is just a small sample of the work being done by students at Mass Academy. These are not projects that their sending schools could help them undertake. On top of this the walls of the academy are covered with awards the students have won with their internationally renowned (yes, I said internationally) robotics team. Each year they regularly dominate robotics competitions at the state, national, and international level.
On top of all this the students and faculty of Mass Academy provide thousands of hours of community service and professional development programs each year. The students doing everything from helping the elderly, disabled, and less fortunate in their community, as well as teaching younger students about math and science and the faculty offering programs to assist educators from other schools and states to improve the level of education in their schools and communities and operating a visiting scholar program for educators.
What I'm saying is this is not just an investment but a natural resource that pays dividends today as well as providing hope for our future.
Anybody that believes that saving a public school that provides a unique educational opportunity for students that excel in the fields of math and science is welcome to pitch in.
This does not require donating any money just a few seconds of your time to sign up as a supporter at this website:
http://savetheacademy.org/
and if you feel like it you can post a comment or two with your thoughts.
If you live in Massachusetts I ask a bit more of you. Please write or call at least these two state legislators:
Robert DeLeo, Speaker of the House
Call: 617-722-2500
E-Mail: [email protected]
Charles Murphy, Chair of the House Ways & Means Committee
Call: 617-722-2990
E-Mail: [email protected]
and any other local political contacts you feel can be helpful, to let them know what a terrible idea it would be to close a public school like Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science.
In terms of full disclosure here, Julia is a faculty member at Mass Academy but I would be part of the effort to save this school even if she were not. In all honesty it makes no sense to me to close a school that achieves at the highest level possible and contributes so much to the community and our dreams of a better future.
It seems even more insane to close a public school like this when we know that what this country needs right now is more people in the fields of math and science to address the problems that face us and to help the US compete in this pathetic global economy. In fact what they should be considering is how to create more schools and programs like this, not cutting them. Mass Academy should be the model not the victim.
Thanks for reading this and thanks in advance for any effort you make. If anybody needs or wants to contact me about this please PM me and I will provide my email or phone number so you can speak to me directly.
http://www.massacademy.org/
-----------------------------------------
Representative Vincent Pedone (Worcester) has introduced an amendment to the house budget to continue funding Mass Academy.
WE NEED YOUR HELP CONTACTING LEGISLATORS TO LOBBY SUPPORT FOR THIS AMENDMENT!
You may find a list of legislators by city/town here:
http://www.mass.gov/legis/city_town.htm
E-MAIL AND CALL YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE TODAY!
Personal letters are encouraged in e-mails, but make sure you call and say that you support Representative Pedone's amendment to continue funding the Mass Academy of Math and Science!
--------------------------------------------------------
–--
'The only way to avoid getting crushed by absurdity, is to humbly include the absurd in our calculations.'
'The only way to avoid getting crushed by absurdity, is to humbly include the absurd in our calculations.'
