Collection:LPB

Genre: Panel

Place Covered: Plaquemine, Iberville Parish, Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 2013-06-26

Duration: 00:58:00

Subjects: Education | Technology | Engineering | Mathematics | Filmed panel discussions | Science

Contributors:

• Courtney, Beth Host
• Sanford, Shauna Host
• Gautreaux, Kevin Producer
• Rushing, Lloyd Interviewee
• Moore, Bryan Interviewee
• May, Joe Interviewee
• Bradford, Ken Interviewee
• Cazes, G.B. Interviewee
• Malone, Julie Interviewee
• Cephalu, Laura Lea Interviewee
• Johnson, Alexis Interviewee
• Comeaux, Keith Interviewee
• Bradford, Ken Panelist
• Chiasson, Stacey Panelist
• Werner, Isiah Panelist
• Cox-Boniol, Cathi Panelist
• Eysink, Curt Panelist
• Brandon, Kathy Speaker
• DeLeo, Allie Speaker
• Meaux, Nyetta Speaker
• Doise, Diane Speaker
• Gunasingna, Kalpanee Speaker
• Goins-Andrews, Judea Speaker
• Joseph, Alicia Speaker
• Papai, Lou Speaker
• Moreno, Juana Speaker
• Dassler, Brian Speaker
• Jindal, Supriya Speaker

This episode of the series “Louisiana Public Square” from June 26, 2013, features Beth Courtney and Shauna Sanford leading a discussion between the audience members and panelists on the status of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in Louisiana. A background report on the topic precedes the discussion. It includes interviews with: Lloyd Rushing, a teacher at Southwood High School in Shreveport; Bryan Moore of the Louisiana Workforce Commission; Dr. Joe May of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System; Ken Bradford of the Louisiana Department of Education; G.B. Cazes of the Cyber Innovation Center in Bossier City; Julie Malone, a teacher at Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport; Laura Lea Cephalu, a teacher at Glasgow Middle School in Baton Rouge; Alexis Johnson, eighth grade student at Glasgow; and Keith Comeaux of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A panel of experts then joins the audience to answer their questions. The panelists are: Ken Bradford of the Louisiana Department of Education; Stacey Chiasson of Dow Chemical Company; Dr. Isiah Werner, a chemistry professor at Louisiana State University (LSU); Cathi Cox-Boniol of the Lincoln Parish School System; and Curt Eysink, the executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission. They discuss: the state’s work in preparing students and the workforce to meet the demand for STEM jobs in Louisiana; the importance of public-private partnerships in sustaining STEM programs; the STEM programs at Louisiana Tech University; the Louisiana Connect portal; encouraging girls to become engineers; the need for students to learn foundational math skills in elementary school; retaining minority students at colleges and universities; diversifying the workforce through university partnerships; sharing STEM resources; strengthening the requirements for teachers to teach STEM subjects; and incorporating art into STEM. The show ends with comments by First Lady Supriya Jindal. This program was recorded at the Math, Science, and Arts Academy in Plaquemine, Louisiana.