Science teachers know that a great science education is the  key to many high paying and fulfilling careers. Science learning teaches students to see the world through the lens of evidence and data, which is desperately needed in an era of conspiracy theories and “research” done in online echo chambers. Science can also be the key to a much deeper connection to nature and the universe. 

But the past few years for science education have been difficult . The best science is hands-on and collaborative, and both of these qualities are hard to do virtually. Teachers were working tirelessly  on implementing NGSS, and were suddenly forced  to transition to online instruction, which just added a massive amount of work and complexity to something that was already challenging. The return to in person instruction has not been easy either, with constantly shifting COVID mandates and students who need to become accustomed  to in-person interaction and classroom norms. 

Even before COVID, we know that science education was often the second fiddle to ELA and Math, especially at the Elementary Level. 

Supporting the idea that science education has been left behind, The National Academies Press just issued a national Call to Action for Science Education. CASE’s very own Primary Director Claudio Vargas is one of the authors! 

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