Whereas Congress is scheduled to reauthorize the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), commonly known as “No Child Left
Behind”, for the first time in almost a decade;
Whereas geography is one of ten “core academic subjects”
identified in the ESEA for which specific funding allocations and implementing
programs are proposed to further its teaching at the K–12 level;
Whereas geography education is central to preparing
students to be informed citizens of the United States and economically
competitive in a rapidly globalizing world;
Whereas geotechnologies, such as Geographic Information
Systems (GIS), GPS, photogrammetry, surveying, mapping, and remote sensing,
have been identified by the U.S. Department of Labor as one of the three most
important emerging and evolving fields, with job opportunities growing and
diversifying rapidly, creating substantial workforce growth as these
technologies prove their value in ever more areas; and
Whereas employers in all sectors, including private
companies, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations have
indicated that there is a pressing need for more students graduating today with
the geographic science and geospatial skills needed to support a rapidly
growing field: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of
Representatives—
(1)urges the Administration to include
geography and geospatial education in its Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) and Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Blueprint
for Reform proposals;
(2)urges Congress to
include authorizations and appropriations for geography education consistent
with other core academic subjects for K–12, as part of a reauthorized ESEA; and
(3)urges Congress to
enhance geography teacher training by passing legislation such as the Teaching
Geography is Fundamental Act.