Five Reasons California Needs More STEM Focused Schools

15Sep
by Leticia Chavez-Garcia
  1. California is number one in the nation in conferring STEM degrees.  So shouldn’t we be number one in getting more kids ready for STEM academics and STEM fields?  We have an amazing opportunity to provide a pathway that allows more kids to access the fields they are interested in versus the traditional mainstream generic general education they are currently receiving. We must focus on STEM schools to get our students into schools like CalTech, MIT, and Harvey Mudd, especially as technology continues to boom.
  2. Kids are more likely to stay focused on their future and stay in school when they love what they are doing and see a useful purpose. Some kids love science and coding, and others love reading and writing. I’ll leave the controversial left brain/right brain myth out of the narrative here, but I will say that without a question, there are children who are more inclined to numbers and science and there are those who favor reading and  writing poetry. For me, I enjoy reading and writing, and I never did appreciate why I HAD to have math and science classes, yuck.  Fast forward to my daughter who is on a trajectory to becoming a molecular cellular biologist, again yuck.  But you see my point.
  3. Careers in the STEM field. Not only are there jobs available in the STEM fields, but most have salaries starting in the upper $90K range. While there is a lack of jobs available for some college grads, STEM educated college grads are much more likely to find work right out college and in some cases, have jobs waiting for them upon graduation.
  4. We need more girls to be exposed to what was once a field dominated by men.  Women are making great strides in STEM fields, and we should support and empower a new generation of STEM women, especially African-American and Latinas.
  5. The United States of America has to be globally competitive in STEM fields as we move forward as a country and world leader. Though right now, we are stalled with a backward thinking administration, it is critical to keep STEM fields flourishing for the time when we as a nation once again become leaders in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, globally. We need to be ready to compete and contribute in the sciences.
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Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Leticia Chavez-Garcia is a Mother, Grandmother, former Middle School Teacher, former Member of a School Board of Education and an Education Advocate for hundreds of parents and students in the Inland Empire. Having become a mother at 15, Leticia knows what it’s like to be a single mother trying to navigate the education system. Leticia received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from California Baptist University and a Masters’ Degree in Education Technology from Cal State Fullerton in her 30’s. Leticia has used her knowledge and experience to help hundreds of families as an Education Advocate in the Inland Empire and currently works as an Education Specialist.

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