Texas Testimoney Public / Higher Education

[lynca]

From my email, I was told this information,

The Public Testimony panel begins after the conclusion of the invited testimony portion. Although it is hard to assign a time, public testimony might begin at around 3:30pm.

The hearing is being held in the Shamrock Room (Room 261) at the Hilton University of Houston, which is located at 4800 Calhoun.

So for all of the robotics teams around Houston, if you are going to go at 3:30 , post on this thread so we can collaborate.

[Andrew Schuetze]

It looks like you have found the means to get on the public agenda. We were asked to give invited testimony. This came from doing 'Dean' type homework. Which resulted in this invite.

[Andrew Schuetze]

Andrew or anyone who attended the Houston hearing, please any comments.

[lynca]

I worked with a few other people in Houston to meet with the representative and relay the message about FIRST.

This is a small section of an email from a Texas Representative to me, you can see that the message is starting to get through! Great job to 499 for getting the ball rolling!

But, more importantly, I wanted to let you know that the committee just heard an extended presentation on robotics courses and robotics competitions at the Edgewood school district on Tuesday when the committee met in San Antonio. So it may be that your testimony would be duplicative of what we've already heard.

Whatever you decide, I'd like to personally learn more about what you are doing. I'm a Rice EE grad and I have a particular concern about the rigidness with which we are teaching math in K-12. Watching the robotics demonstration made me wonder whether the state ought design (or copy) courses like this so that students learn the math they need while actually seeing some purpose for it, and learn other skills at the same time.

[Andrew Schuetze]

Thanks for the update and kudos. Kudos to you as well for your sustained efforts the last few years. AusTinCans rookie team success now DiscoBots with similar success.

Hopefully, we have established a basis for follow up that could eventually lead to Texas supporting FIRST and other robotics programs.

Pencil in you calendar to participate in the second Texas RoboExpo at the capitol building in Austin next spring when the Legislature meets again. Senator Leticia Van dePutte has already agreed to sponsor the week long event again.