President Obama’s budget proposal for the fiscal year that starts October 1 will include $4 billion to provide states with money to develop computer science programs, along with $100 million in grants available directly to school districts to advance computer learning.
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First, I’m asking Congress to provide funding over the next three years so that our elementary, middle, and high schools can provide opportunities to learn computer science for all students.
“In the coming years, we should build on that progress – by providing pre-K for all [and] offering every student the hands-on computer science and math classes that make them job-ready on day one”, he said during his State of the Union address.
President Barack Obama will welcome Italian President Sergio Mattarella to the White House next month.
U.S. CTO Megan Smith* said in a conference call with reporters that nine in 10 parents want such education offered in their childrens’ schools. The push, titled the Computer Science for All initiative, includes $4 billion in Obama’s upcoming budget and $100 million to be distributed directly to districts. “Twenty-two states don’t even allow it to count toward a diploma”. The company previously announced a $75 million initiative to expand its TEALS (Technology Education and Literacy in Schools) program to expand to 700 schools in 33 states, reaching nearly 30,000 students. In many ways, the move is symbolic-a way for Obama to reiterate his commitment to STEM and pencil in computer science on the next president’s to-do list.
Brad Smith, Microsoft president and chief legal officer.
Smith said Microsoft would begin a campaign to extend its efforts in computer science education across the country.
There are also demographic challenges for attracting girls and minority students to computer science education, as USA Today points out. In 2015, only 22% of those who took the AP computer science test were girls, and only 13 percent were African-American or Latino.
Administration officials said they will dedicate approximately $135 million in existing funds, mostly from the National Science Foundation, to help train thousands of teachers and design new instructional materials for computer science classes.
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Obama also called for support from private entities such as Google, SalesForce and Code.org to assist in teaching students computer science skills.
