And the high school exit exam will not include science. There is so much that we're required to do by the state and our district. Plus we have 'pullouts' for computer time, speech, library and other things. When you add up all the minutes of the day, there just isn't enough time. Rohnert Park students Aimee Cohen, Kelly Ransom, and Ben Bianchini get hands-on experience with crustaceans.
Administrators roam around to make sure that's what they see.
The current emphasis on reading and math puts science on a back burner for many elementary teachers. What I hear tells me that very little time is devoted to elementary science instruction - and in some cases, no time at all. The department is concerned about the decreasing emphasis on science and the ramifications, says Tucker. One problem she does see is that the opportunities for hands-on science are not equitable across the state. I have heard many stories of teachers who have literally been told not to teach science, because they need to spend more time on reading and arithmetic.