Long STEM Roads for Life

Let's be candid. The Stars are aligned against STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Math) careers. The Stars of academia, that is. Public opinion is out of synch too. Math and other STEM topics don't get enough respect. It's subtle. They are in the orbit of educational thinking but eclipsed by one of many celestial bodies of knowledge. The K through 12 educational process frameworks promotes the College quest. Some aspire to an Engineering or Science program. All's right with the...
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Let's be candid. The Stars are aligned against STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Math) careers. The Stars of academia, that is. Public opinion is out of synch too. Math and other STEM topics don't get enough respect. It's subtle. They are in the orbit of educational thinking but eclipsed by one of many celestial bodies of knowledge. The K through 12 educational process frameworks promotes the College quest. Some aspire to an Engineering or Science program. All's right with the world. Not really. Engineering and Science in College require a certain foundation Math in High School. These courses are available. However, since there are plenty of specific career paths to imagine, then few choose STEM preparation. Not taking the proper courses decreases the number of students capable of engaging in STEM studies beyond the 12th grade. As a result, their educational template for grasping technical topics has not been developed. Time and energy have been expended and can't be instantaneously reversed. They just can't flip a switch. A certain amount of effort is required to build a STEM foundation. With respect to Math, they may need to start further back than where they left off. Meantime, they have graduated. Closure! ... For future generations the process can be changed. Simply stated, if the Mathematics is off-track, STEM careers are thwarted. Follow the Math and the structural decay becomes evident. Why is STEM preparation, a problem? What can be done to fix it?