Newswise — A student mathematics activist from the University of Chicago will share his concerns about the future of mathematics education during a National Science Foundation panel discussion on the next generation of science and technology innovators. Louis Wasserman, a second-year student in mathematics at the University, will appear before the panel Aug. 24 in Arlington, Va., as part of a two-day workshop convened by the National Science Board, the NSF’s governing body. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will present the workshop’s keynote address Aug. 25. The John Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth invited Wasserman to participate in the panel discussion on the board’s behalf. Wasserman graduated in 2008 from a nationally recognized magnet program in mathematics, science and computer science at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Md.
During his senior year, he became a 2008 Intel Science Talent Search finalist for a computer science project in which he characterized a class of problems known as P, which can be solved efficiently by a computer.
“At the same time I was doing well in some national research competitions, the program was faced with serious budget cuts,” Wasserman said. He then led several student protests against the budget cuts and spoke before the Montgomery County Council and Board of Education. The cuts went through as planned.
“Four teaching positions were cut,” Wasserman said. “Two teachers retired to save others’ jobs. In addition, a lot of the teachers’ extra planning time needed for teaching unusually advanced courses was cut.” As a side effect, teachers had much less time to support award-winning extracurricular activities, including the competitive programming team.
“This program has consistently produced nationally and internationally competitive students by offering challenging classes, a wide variety of intensive extracurriculars and a community powered by unbridled curiosity—an environment University of Chicago students would recognize,” he said.
The cutbacks at the Blair Science Magnet, however, left him questioning the nation’s educational priorities. “After the county’s reaction to our protests, I can only conclude that our education system just doesn’t see the value in such a program,” he said.
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