Letter from the President

Mathematics and Science Education as an “Engine of Democracy” for America’s Future

Historically, mathematics was considered the Queen of the sciences. From the work of Euclid to Ptolemy to Newton to Descartes, mathematics has laid the foundation for modern science. And from the time of the Renaissance on, science itself has been central to the development of modern society and the primary engine of global progress. Successes achieved in almost every field of human endeavor—medicine, transportation, commerce, communication, engineering, security and defense, to name just a few—owe an incalculable debt to the evolution of math and science. Science, whether physical, biological, natural, applied, or theoretical, has helped to plumb the depths of the oceans, send men and women into space, and create computers that are among the most influential tools humankind has ever invented.

Yet while all this is true, and the general public is certainly quick to both praise and adapt the latest technologies, in recent years the worldwide spread of technological advances has not resulted in an equally robust appreciation of mathematics and science among Americans. Now, however, in the post-Cold-War world of the 21st century, when we have entered into a new phase of globalization characterized by knowledge-based economies and fierce competition, the United States can no longer afford not to be fully engaged with math and science and their application to teaching and learning.

It was in this spirit that, in 2007, Carnegie Corporation of New York joined with the Institute for Advanced Study to create a commission, comprised of some of our nation’s most distinguished mathematicians, scientists, educators, scholars, business leaders, and public officials, to assess not only the current state of math and science education in the U.S. but also how to enhance the capacity of our schools and universities to generate innovative strategies across all fields that will increase access to high-quality education for every student in every classroom. If we believe, as the great education reformer Horace Mann did, that “education is the engine of democracy,” then the strength and progress of both American society and our democracy depend on our ability to mobilize around this work, with clear goals and great determination.

Since the beginning of the last century, Carnegie Corporation and its sister organizations, including the Carnegie Institution for Science, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Carnegie Mellon University, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, have helped to advance American education and the world of ideas. Now, with this effort to enrich math and science education in the U.S., the Corporation is gratified to partner with the Institute for Advanced Study, the home of such luminaries as Abraham Flexner, Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Hetty Goldman, and which today, continues to be among the great driving forces of math and basic science research in our nation. Together, we are pleased to present The Opportunity Equation, the report of the Carnegie Corporation of New York-Institute for Advanced Study Commission on Mathematics and Science Education. It is a clarion call to renew our commitment to revitalize our educational system by creating change for the future that is rooted in knowledge infused with a deep understanding of math and science.

Vartan Gregorian
President
Carnegie Corporation of New York