Task force on science, math teaching meets; 102-MEMBER PANEL'S GOAL IS TO IMPROVE STATE'S PERFORMANCE
BYLINE: Art Jester, HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER
A blue-ribbon panel of Kentuckians drawn from business, government, colleges and universities, and public schools met yesterday to start finding ways to improve the state's performance in science, math and related fields.
The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Task Force held its initial meeting at the Council on Postsecondary Education.
The council created the ad hoc group to deal with what education and business leaders are calling a national crisis in science and math that is jeopardizing the United States' economic competitiveness.
"It's time for Kentucky to do something in this arena," said University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr., an electrical engineer by training and the task force chairman.
The panel includes a cross-section of people who normally wouldn't cross paths in the course of a day but who, through their work, share a common concern about the nation's science and math deficiencies, several members said.
"We need to have this firepower to solve the problem," Todd said. "Incremental change will never get us anywhere."
Todd said he hoped the task force would have "two or three hard recommendations" to present to the 2007 General Assembly in March.
There were 72 of the 102 members on hand for yesterday's six-hour session. The task force is thought to be the largest group ever assembled in Kentucky to address an educational problem or issue.
Because of the panel's size, the members will be assigned to committees for business, higher education, government and K-12 to come up with their proposals.
The members include such people as John R. Hall, a council member and former chairman and CEO of Ashland Inc.; Robert Addington, owner of Appalachian Fuels Inc.; Rich Alloo, general manager Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing Inc., Erlanger; State Senate Majority Leader Dan Kelly, R-Springfield and State Rep. Tanya Pullin, D-South Shore, an intellectual property lawyer; and numerous K-12 teachers who specialize in science or math and have won statewide awards as outstanding teachers.
The task force is scheduled to meet again Jan. 31 to develop preliminary recommendations.
Allyson Handley, senior policy adviser at the council and a former president of Midway College, said council leaders hope that the task force, after taking its recommendations to the legislature, will meet at least once a year to monitor progress in education and business.
Task force membersRobert Addington, Appalachian Fuels Inc.; Dave Adkisson, president, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Frankfort; Rich Alloo, general manager, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Inc., Erlanger; Jim Applegate, vice president for academic affairs, Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, Frankfort; Gail Becker, executive director, Louisville Science Center; Gary Bello, partner, Atera Partners LLC, Lexington; Fariba Bigdeli-Jahed, associate professor of mathematics and chairwoman, division of mathematics and sciences, Kentucky State University, Frankfort; George Binder, executive director, Kentucky Engineering Center, Frankfort; Keith Bird, chancellor, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, Versailles; Bill Bush, professor and director, Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Teacher Development, College of Education and Human Development, University of Louisville.Haridas Chandran, teacher, Belfry High School, and 2007 Ashland Inc. Kentucky Teacher Achievement Award Winner; Deborah Clayton, commissioner, Department of Commercialization and Innovation, Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development; Bill Cloyd, president, Newton's Attic Inc., Lexington; Joan Coleman, vice president, BellSouth Communications Inc., Louisville; Edward de Rosset, president, Union College, Barbourville; Dale Elifrits, director, pre-engineering and outreach, Center for Integrative Natural Science and Mathematics (CINSAM) and department of physics and geology, Northern Kentucky University; Bonnie Embry, science teacher, Rosa Parks Elementary School, Lexington, and president, Kentucky Science Teachers Association; Blaine Ferrell, professor of biology and dean, Ogden College of Science and Engineering, Western Kentucky University; Greg Figgs, high school instructional supervisor, Fayette County Public Schools; Linda France, deputy commissioner, Kentucky Department of Education.Scot Gill, physics teacher and coordinator, Student Technology Leadership Program, Tates Creek High School; Diana J. Glenn, Elizabethtown, teacher, East Hardin Middle School and the 2007 Ashland Inc. Kentucky Middle School Teacher of the Year; Ron Greenberg, senior vice president, Jewish Hospital and St. Mary's Healthcare, Louisville and chairman, Council on Postsecondary Education; Ivory Griskell, assistant professor, division of computer and technical sciences, KSU; Cathy Gunn, dean, College of Education, Morehead State University; John R. Hall, former chairman and CEO, Ashland Inc., and member, Council on Postsecondary Education; Sally Hamilton, chief of staff, Kentucky Education Cabinet; Allyson Handley, senior policy advisor, Council on Postsecondary Education; Elaine Harrison, director, Student Technology Leadership Program, Kentucky Department of Education; Blake Haselton, executive director, Kentucky Association of School Superintendents; Steve Henderson, vice president and project director, Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative, Kentucky Science and Technology Corp.; State Rep. Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown, minority floor leader; Jim Host, Lexington, Host Communications and former state commerce commissioner; Darrell Ishmael, community and business development manager, East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Winchester.Brenda Jackson, Shelbyville, president, Kentucky School Boards Association; Diane Johnson, instructional supervisor, Lewis County Public Schools; David A. Jones Jr., chairman, Humana Inc.; Michael Karpf, executive vice president for health affairs, University of Kentucky; State Sen. Dan Kelly, R-Springfield, majority floor leader; Rodney Kelly, director, Division of Career and Technical Education, Kentucky Department of Education; Elizabeth Kennan Burns, Danville, former president of Mount Holyoke College (Mass.); William J. Kovacic, Lexington field office director, Office of Surface Mining, U.S. Department of the Interior; Joanne Lang, executive vice president, Kentucky Science and Technology Corp.; Sarah Laws, provost, Midway College; Tom Layzell, president, Council on Postsecondary Education; Tom Lester, dean, UK College of Engineering; Benny Lile, director of instruction and technology, Barren County Board of Education; Fran Lockwood, senior vice president technology, Valvoline; Sylvia Lovely, executive director and CEO, Kentucky League of Cities; Amy Lowen, director of education, Louisville Science Center.Phyllis Maclin, Paducah, member, Council on Postsecondary Education; David Magrane, professor and chairman, department of biological and environmental sciences, Morehead State; Delanor Manson, executive director, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services; Tom Martin, editor in chief, Business Lexington; Andrew Meko, Louisville, president and CEO, Kentucky Association of Manufacturers; Billy Joe Miles, Owensboro, farm and fuels company owner and member, UK Board of Trustees; Lindsey Miller, program manager, GE college bound program in Jefferson County; Deb Moessner, president, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky; Elaine "Cissy" Musselman, Louisville, partner, Nease, Musselman, Mayfield and Associates; State Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville; Laura Owens, secretary, Kentucky Education Cabinet.Steve Penrod, general manager, Paducah gaseous diffusion plant, U.S. Enrichment Corp. (USEC); Bill Phillips, dean, College of Education, Eastern Kentucky University; Jennifer Wells Phipps, teacher, Corbin High School, and 2007 Ashland Inc. Kentucky Teacher Achievement Award Winner; William M. Pierce, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, School of Medicine, U of L; Jerry Pogatshnik, associate vice president for research and dean of the graduate school, EKU; Larry Prichard, retired superintendent, Carter County Schools, and member, National Science Board Commission on 21st Century Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; State Rep. Tanya Pullin, D-South Shore; Bob Quick, president and CEO, Commerce Lexington Inc.; Joe Reagan, president and CEO, Greater Louisville Inc.; Eddy Roberts, state president, BellSouth Telecommunications Inc., Louisville; Julia Roberts, Mahurin professor of gifted studies, WKU; Melanie Roberts, county judge-executive, Bullitt County; Wimberly Royster, temporary faculty, Appalachian Math and Science, and former math department chairman and retired vice president for graduate school and research, UK.Owens Saylor, assistant superintendent, curriculum, Jessamine County Schools; Phillip Schmidt; director, Center for Integrative Natural Science and Mathematics (CINSAM), NKU; Kathy Schroerlucke, education development manager, Kentucky Dataseam Initiative; Robert F. Sexton, executive director, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence; Linda Sheffield, Regents professor of mathematics and executive director, Kentucky Center for Mathematics, NKU; Stu Silberman, superintendent, Fayette County Schools; Charley Simpson, vice president and CIO, The Center for Rural Development, Somerset; Lydia Wells Sledge, retired director, Division of Instructional Technology, Kentucky Department of Education; Scott Smith, dean, College of Agriculture, UK; Suzanne Soled, chair, College of Education and Human Services, Department of Teacher Education and School Leadership, NKU; Ben Streepy, Lexmark International, Inc.; Lee T. Todd Jr., president, UK; Billie Travis, curriculum resource teacher, Royal Spring Middle School, Georgetown, and vice president middle, Kentucky Council of Teachers of Mathematics; Darrell Treece, superintendent, Adair County Schools; John Turner, Lebanon, executive vice president and COO, Angell Manufacturing, and vice chairman, Council on Postsecondary Education; Barbara Veazey, president and CEO, West Kentucky Community and Technical College, Paducah.Caryn Walker, teacher, J. Graham Brown School, Louisville, and 2007 Ashland Inc. Kentucky Teacher Achievement Award Winner; Neil Weber, professor and dean, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Murray State University; Susan Weiss, president and owner, Net Tango, Louisville; Tom Welch, Welch Consulting Inc., Lexington; Connie White, physician, Frankfort; LaJuana Wilcher, lawyer and former state Secretary of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, Bowling Green; Mickey Wilhelm, dean, Speed School of Engineering, U of L; William Wilson, deputy executive director for education and outreach, KET; Frank Wiseman, professor and chairman of chemistry, Georgetown College, and Kentucky's 2006 CASE Professor of the Year, presented by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; John Yopp, associate provost for educational partnerships, UK; and James Zanewicz, director, Office of Technology Transfer, U of L.
Reach Art Jester at (859) 231-3489 or 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 3489, or ajester@herald-leader.com.