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#21
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Re: Attn. Michigan Teams: $2,000,000 FIRST Pledge Cancelled
I received a copy of the letter Jack Jones sent off to the appropriations committee. It's so fabulous I thought I would share it with you here.
Jack Jones to scotthummel, SenRJelinek, SenACropsey ... Dear House and Senate Appropriations Committees for Education Members: I am writing this letter to ask that you please reinstate Sec 99 (C) of the State School Aid Act. The FIRST Robotics program is vital to the growth of the future technological workforce in Michigan. Currently 25% of our high schools participate in the program. Reinstatement of Sec 99 (C) will encourage students from the other 75% of high schools in Michigan to pursue a career related to engineering, science and technology. I live in Ms. Amos' district (Waterford) and work as a systems research engineer at USA RDECOM/TARDEC in Warren. Over the past three years TARDEC has partnered with FIRST via a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). The TARDEC-FIRST CRADA's aim is to develop future technologies by mentoring the development of our future technologists; that is, very best and brightest high school students. We have provided mentoring, manufacturing, and mentoring services to a number of local high school FIRST robotics teams. Waterford has no FIRST robotics program. That 's because no teacher, administrator, or parent has taken it upon themselves to raise the thousands of dollars necessary to start and maintain a team. It would be like asking the coach and players to raise the money for uniforms, equipment, travel, and to rent a stadium before we'd have high school football. So, it's not surprising that Waterford is among the hundreds of districts that has no FIRST robotics teams. What is surprising is that 125 of our state's high schools do have personnel who've stepped in where the state and our educational system have failed. They continue to do so year after year because they see payoff when the see their students hit the ground running in the pursuit and in the practice of hi-tech careers. Their dedication and persistence serve as testimony to the value of the FIRST robotics program. In the past two years I've mentored the Birmingham-Groves FIRST robotics team. Due to the dedication of two teachers, Steve Ligget and Jim Crosby, they've been able to stay afloat. While there I noticed that Groves is building a second swimming pool at a cost of $5 million. They are, after all, State Champs in swimming; but, I wonder how many graduates will earn a living or benefit our nation by doing that. I wonder also about the State's priorities in this global economy where former third world countries are producing engineers at an order of magnitude to that of America. You see, the State of Michigan should should look at FIRST as a case of sink or swim because a failure to embrace the program will keep us in the current mode where we simply swim and sink. Regards, Jack Jones (Waterford-Kettering 67') USA RDECOM/TARDEC Research Business Group Special Programs Office Those of you who took the time to send an email, regardless of whether it was the short letter I provided, or one of your own, THANK YOU. To those of you who haven't it would be great if you could PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO DO SO TODAY. |
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