U.S. Secretaries Bodman and Spellings Visit T.C. Williams High School

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman and U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today visited T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., to tour the school’s new energy efficient campus and classrooms, highlighting the importance of wise energy use and echoing President Bush’s call for increased rigor in our nation’s schools under No Child Left Behind. Speaking with faculty and students, the Secretaries underscored the need to prepare America’s next generation of leaders with a strong math and science foundation to ensure America remains at the forefront of innovation for years to come.

Following a tour of the state-of-the-art facilities, Secretaries Bodman and Spellings engaged with students conducting experiments in a school chemistry laboratory. They emphasized the need to increase investment in research and development of energy technologies, strengthen science and math education, and encourage entrepreneurship and technology discovery -- the goals of President Bush’s American Competitiveness Initiative launched in 2006. Investing in our next generation of scientists, engineers and educators will help secure America’s ability to compete in the 21st century global marketplace.

During today’s visit, Secretary Bodman highlighted the launch of the new Get Smart about Energy! K-12 Energy Lessons and Activities software, a curriculum enhancement tool for K-12 students containing 300 hands-on classroom activities. All lessons are aligned with the National Science Education Standards and focus on Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Renewable Energy. Secretary Bodman discussed with the students, noting the importance of equipping today’s students with the knowledge and resources to become our future workforce of scientists, engineers and researchers who develop cutting-edge energy technologies.

“By using energy efficiently, students can help us access the cheapest, most abundant, cleanest source of ”new“ energy: the energy that we waste everyday,” Secretary Bodman said. “And equipping them with the scientific and mathematical knowledge necessary to compete in the global marketplace is vital to our Nation’s economic growth and competitive edge.”

Speaking with T.C. Williams faculty and students, Secretary Spellings underscored the importance of reauthorizing No Child Left Behind this year and strengthening the law on behalf of students. Secretary Spellings pointed to progress made under the law, particularly in the early grades, as evidenced by promising math and reading results released by The Nation’s Report Card last week. She also noted that work must be done to improve accountability and performance, advocating the need for increased rigor in high schools to prepare students to succeed. In urging Congress to reauthorize No Child Left Behind this year, President Bush proposed ways to challenge high school students by expanding the availability of Advanced Placement courses and linking high school classes to college and workforce demands.

“At a time when less than half of high school graduates are prepared for college-level math and science, it’s time to increase expectations and improve the way these subjects are taught in our nation’s classrooms. Solid math and science skills are becoming increasingly essential in the new knowledge economy - so it’s time to ramp up the rigor and challenge our students to succeed,” Secretary Spellings said.

For more information on President Bush’s proposals for reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, visit:
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/01/01242007.html.