More at http://www.theuptake.org Excerpt of President Obama's speech: he key to meeting these challenges -- to improving our health and well-being, to harnessing clean energy, to protecting our security, and succeeding in the global economy -- will be reaffirming and strengthening America's role as the world's engine of scientific discovery and technological innovation. And that leadership tomorrow depends on how we educate our students today, especially in those fields that hold the promise of producing future innovations and innovators. And that's why education in math and science is so important. Now the hard truth is that for decades we've been losing ground. One assessment shows American 15-year-olds now rank 21st in science and 25th in math when compared to their peers around the world. And this isn't news. We've seen worrying statistics like this for years. Yet, time and again, we've let partisan and petty bickering stand in the way of progress. And time and again, as a nation, we've let our children down. So I'm here and you are here because we all believe that we can't allow division and indifference to imperil our position in the world. It's time for all of us -- in Washington and across America -- to take responsibility for our future. And that's why I'm committed to moving our country from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math education over the next decade. To meet this goal, the Recovery Act included the largest investment in education in history while preventing hundreds of thousands of educators from being fired because of state budget shortfalls. Under the outstanding leadership of Arne Duncan, we've launched a $4 billion Race to the Top fund, one of the largest investments in education reform in history.
