January 31, 2002

The Honorable Ralph Regula
Chairman
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor,
  Health and Human Services, and Education
2306 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Regula:

The undersigned companies and trade associations would like to thank you for providing $100 million for the Math/Science Partnership Program authorized under Title II, Section B of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). The business community is a strong and active advocate of the NCLB Act. We support the systemic reforms advanced by the legislation as well as the call for increased investments in key national priorities such as teacher quality, math and science education, and effective use of technology in the classroom.

A substantial increase to the Math and Science Partnerships will allow higher education, K-12 districts, businesses, and others to provide additional teacher training and professional development, curriculum development, and a host of other critically-needed reforms to improve current system of science, math, engineering and technology education. Excellence in K-12 science and mathematics, must be a national priority. Recent national and international test scores demonstrate how far we have to go to equip American students with the foundation they need in these core disciplines. We are pleased and grateful that you share our commitment to ensuring that all America’s students have access to a world-class education, particularly in mathematics and science that are so crucial to the nation’s continued economic growth.

We appreciate your leadership and support in this area. We urge you to continue your leadership in support of the Math/Science Partnership Program as you negotiate final allocations with the Senate.

Sincerely,

AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association)
Agilent Technologies
Analog Devices
CompTIA
Industrial Research Institute, Inc.
Information Technology Association of America
Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International
Semiconductor Industry Association
Texas Instruments
The Business Roundtable