Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON DC On Thursday Congressman Lamar Smith (TX-21) sent
a letter to House appropriators urging them to prioritize support for K-12 computer science education.
The letter signed by Smith and 23 of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle including Texas congressmen Michael T. McCaul Blake Farenthold Marc A. Veasey and Will Hurd notes how only one in four K-12 schools in the U.S. teach rigorous computer science courses. States and school districts understand the need to improve and are leading the way investing their limited resources in computer science education. By prioritizing support for computer science education at the federal level Congress can contribute to improving our countrys competitiveness addressing national security and cyber defense concerns and creating more jobs for our local communities.
Congressman Lamar Smith: Ive heard from countless employers that there are not enough applicants with the technical skills they need to fill the positions theyre looking for. We need to equip our countrys students and teachers with the resources needed to succeed in the 21st century."
In April a bipartisan group CEOs of governors and education leaders
wrote to Congress asking for every student in every school to have an opportunity to learn computer science. The House Appropriations Committee will be weighing computer science funding in this years Labor Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill.
Other signers of Rep. Smiths computer science letter include representatives:
- Susan Brooks
- Robert J. Dold
- Randy Hultgren
- Bruce Westerman
- Michael T. McCaul
- Elizabeth Esty
- Alan Grayson
- Barbara Comstock
- Blake Farenthold
- Eric Swalwell
- Steve Knight
- F. James Sensenbrenner Jr.
- Lynn Jenkins
- Marc A. Veasey
- Rick Crawford
- John R. Moolenaar
- Barbara Lee
- Zoe Lofgren
- Phil Roe
- Will Hurd
- Tom Emmer
- Luke Messer
- Katherine Clark
