Education Matters

Brain Booster: Dog Show -- If there are 196 legs and 126 eyes at the dog show, how many people and how many dogs are present? All the people and all the dogs at the show have the normal number of eyes and legs. (Answer at the bottom.)

It is that time of year – time to warm up your brain and trade the swimming bag for a book bag. Back to school time is an exciting time for everyone, teachers, students and parents alike.

Montana’s students rank among the top in the nation in science scores and our Montana teachers are some of the best. Still we need to encourage our schools and businesses to champion science, technology and engineering to better prepare the next generation to be leaders in a global economy.

For that reason, my husband Governor Brian Schweitzer and I have launched a Math and Science Initiative. We hope you - Montana students of all ages - will join us in learning about and enjoying all the wonders of math and science.

Many of the challenges and opportunities facing Montana will require folks with good skills and talents in math and science. We need clean, renewable energy. Montana’s land, air and water must be protected so future generations can enjoy hunting, fishing or working the land. There are plenty of dinosaurs left to dig, fish to count, weeds and diseases to conquer, stars and planets to find, bridges and highways to build, patients to care for, and computer games to imagine and write.

A recent Congressional report by the National Academy of Sciences recommended our nations’ policymakers undertake activities that will:

1) Increase America's talent pool by vastly improving K-12 mathematics and science education;

2) Sustain and strengthen the nation's commitment to long-term basic research;

3) Develop, recruit, and retain top students, scientists, and engineers from both the U.S. and abroad; and

4) Ensure that the United States is the premier place in the world for innovation.

Montana has good students who with the help of great teachers will become top innovators, scientists and engineers in a global workforce. The Governor and I are eager to hear about what is going on across the state in the math and science field and would love to hear from you. Please let us know what you or your class is doing to engage future math and science leaders. You can reach me at Nancy Schweitzer, PO Box 200801, Helena, MT 59620-0801, or e-mail at FirstLady@mt.gov.

Education matters -- for our youngest and our oldest. Challenging our minds can better prepare us for the careers of the future and make us all students for life. Have a great school year!

(Answer: There are 28 people and 35 dogs. Brain Booster by Discoveryschool.com)

Editor’s Note: For more information on reports by the National Academy of Sciences, please visit www.nasonline.org