HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 1

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

Bill McCamley

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION AND THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO ORGANIZE A UNIFIED SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR ALL NEW MEXICO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS.

     WHEREAS, students who graduate from high school and college in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, popularly known as STEM subjects, have the best chance of finding meaningful and well-paying careers in the United States; and

     WHEREAS, there are many good jobs available throughout New Mexico for STEM graduates; and

     WHEREAS, in New Mexico, for every person with a STEM degree there are 2.1 job openings; for everyone else, there are 3.2 people for every job opening; and

     WHEREAS, one difficulty in teaching STEM subjects in primary and secondary schools is that students lose interest because STEM becomes too "nerdy", usually around the sixth grade, for students who want to be one of the "cool kids"; and

     WHEREAS, solutions to this problem can be created by:

          A. providing positive social feedback to students interested in STEM;

          B. giving those students an environment in which they are supported by both teachers and peers;

          C. offering meaningful competition to help students develop STEM goals; and

          D. allowing for creative expression and growth in STEM subjects; and

     WHEREAS, these solutions can easily provide STEM students with the social gains provided by athletics, and, over a lifetime, perhaps a much greater monetary reward; and

     WHEREAS, a 2014 study from the university of Kansas shows that students participating in athletics are more likely to participate in high school because athletics provide structured competition, are a source of pride and positive social feedback and are fun; and

     WHEREAS, an article in Education Policy Analysis Archives shows that students who participate in science and math clubs have higher grade point averages in related classes, and students who participate in science and math clubs are three times more likely to choose STEM majors in college; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico activities association supports the New Mexico science olympiad, the New Mexico science and engineering fair and the technology student association, but press coverage and community participation is nowhere near that of sports; and

     WHEREAS, STEM activities do not have large booster clubs that raise money for their school's academic "athletes" to help those competitors go to national and international competitions or to be the cheering section at competitions and throughout the community, ensuring that events and competing students get business and individual sponsors and in-depth press coverage that equals that of football or basketball; and

     WHEREAS, most athletic coaches are paid employees of the school district, but there is no such arrangement for STEM coaches; and

     WHEREAS, no funding means no guarantee of a coach or even a STEM-related program in a school; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico could be the first state in the nation to crown a state STEM champion;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico activities association work with the public education department to:

          A. create a statewide STEM championship program and develop extracurricular and co-curricular clubs and activities related to STEM; and

          B. provide funding at every public school for a STEM coach; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the association, the department, school districts and charter schools work with schools and businesses and field experts to provide quality control for STEM extracurricular and co-curricular programs; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the association and the department report their progress on this request to the legislative education study committee by December 1, 2015; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the director of the New Mexico activities association, the secretary of public education and the chair of the legislative education study committee.

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