Press Release
September 8, 2011
Rep. Susan Davis's Amendment on School Innovation Passes House
WASHINGTON –Too keep America’s innovative spirit alive, Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) added language to Empowering Parents Through Quality Charter Schools Act (H.R. 2218) to encourage innovation in classroom curriculums.
“If we’re going to fix the economy and create quality jobs, America must remain on the cutting edge,” said Davis, a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. “The best way to stay on the cutting edge is to create a workforce that can compete against the best and the brightest in the world.”
In her speech on the House floor, Davis highlighted High Tech High Charter School in San Diego as an example of what can happen when schools embrace the concept of encouraging innovation. With the support of technology companies such as Qualcomm and Microsoft, High Tech High has taken innovation in its curriculum to a new level. Since 2003, the result has been that 100 percent of High Tech High’s graduates have gone on to attend college at such universities as NYU, MIT, and Yale – many of whom choose careers in technology fields.
“Innovation in education can mean something different in every school,” Davis said. “But it’s about teaching children how to think, how to work together, how to think across disciplines, and most importantly, how to act on and apply their knowledge.”
Davis’s amendment passed the House of Representatives on a voice vote. Her amendment was endorsed by The Alliance for Science & Technology Research in America and the National Science Teachers Association.
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