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As Connecticut educators prepare for the school year, focus shifts to STEM learning

Most schools are back to in-person learning across the U.S. now.
Luis Robay
/
AFP via Getty Images
Most schools are back to in-person learning across the U.S. now.

Connecticut educators are preparing for what they expect to be the most normal back-to-school season in three years.

“The sky is not the limit," declared former NASA astronaut Bernard Harris in keynote address to school superintendents at the state education commissioner’s annual back-to-school conference.

Harris urged the superintendents from across the state to work on getting all their students up to speed in STEM — the science, technology, engineering and math — courses needed for high tech jobs in Connecticut.

“If we are going to be competitive in the 21st century we need to have math and science education at the forefront. It drives technology. It drives innovation. It drives the workforce,” said Harris, who is with the National Math and Science Initiative.

“Kids not being prepared for the jobs of now and the future, and in many cases COVID has caused that to be worse than it was before, so we got to work on that,” he said, urging the superintendents to focus on underserved communities.

As WSHU Public Radio’s award-winning senior political reporter, Ebong Udoma draws on his extensive tenure to delve deep into state politics during a major election year.