innovate

There is also cause for great hope and optimism for STEM education. Many sound strategies are
proposed in the report and hold great promise for our students, educators, and schools—including
ones that have already proven effective in California. Some areas need further study, discussion, and
debate and would require, in some cases, changes in law to carry out. Others merely need nurturing
and support to achieve lasting results.
The recommendations of the task force are invigorating and inspiring. Some may take longer to
accomplish than others. But together, they offer a vision of what STEM education can be in California.
This report was not written to sit on a shelf. It is imperative that it become a plan of action, unifying
us with focus and purpose. We must invest our very best thinking, our very best efforts, and—above
all—our very best people in improving the quality and level of STEM education in California public
schools. We need to do so for the future of our students, their schools, and the economic future of
California.
A STEM education is not only about the future, it is about today. Over the past 10 years, growth in
jobs involving STEM fields was three times greater than that of non-STEM occupations. STEM jobs
are expected to continue to grow at a faster rate than others in the coming decade. STEM-related
industries are a major economic component of California’s economy. It is important that California’s
students have access to courses that prepare them for postsecondary education and careers in
STEM. Students and teachers in the twenty-first century must have the skills and abilities today to
succeed.
Sincerely,
Tom Torlakson
State Superintendent of Public Instruction