Skip Navigation
We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, provide ads, analyze site traffic, and personalize content. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies.
NEA News

NEA Leadership Praises STEM Program for Minority Students

New Jersey program brings higher learning access and opportunities to students and rigorous training and support to educators.
Published: May 8, 2015

SharptonWhat happens when robust professional development meets innovative STEM curriculum? The answer? Higher learning access and opportunities for students and rigorous training and support for educators.

That’s what NEA Vice President Becky Pringle, Rev. Al Sharpton, state and local officials and the media discovered in Trenton, New Jersey when they embarked on a learning tour and community forum on the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

The tour, part of Teacher Appreciation Week, and hosted by the National Education Association and the New Jersey Education Association, was designed to support President Obama’s desire to “restore the country to its role as the global leader in education, to strengthen the nation by improving educational outcomes for African Americans of all ages, and to help ensure that all African Americans receive an education that properly prepares them for college, productive careers, and satisfying lives.”

NEA Vice President Becky Pringle and Rev. Al Sharpton with students from Trenton High School in New Jersey. NEA Vice President Becky Pringle and Rev. Al Sharpton with students from Trenton High School in New Jersey.

Sharpton, a civil rights leader and commentator for MSNBC, and Vice President Pringle were treated to a tour of Trenton High School’s 9th grade academy, where the district recently launched the Progressive Science Initiative (PSI) a physics program utilizing technology and collaboration.

“One of the things that I think is a very serious civil rights issue is the lack of preparing minority students in the areas of (Science Technology Engineering and Math ) STEM,” said Sharpton after meeting with students and attending a panel. “I am very impressed with what I’m seeing here. The results speak for themselves.”

The program was created with the collaboration of the Trenton Education Association. “This is significant because in our urban area, many of our students do not have access and opportunity to take advanced math coursed beyond Algebra II,” explained TEA President Naomi Johnson-Lafleur. “We brought this program in because last year we had less than 100 students taking physics in Trenton.” Now, students will be able to take the courses and compete with their peers.

Earlier in the day, leaders also toured The New Jersey Center for Teaching, which provides rigorous professional development and science certification programs for teachers and challenging STEM curriculum for students.

The day ended with a public community forum in which students, educators, parents, and community members were able to learn about efforts to engage communities of color, offer their own testimonies, and learn about local, state, and national partnership strategies to increase access to high quality programs and services.

Get more from

We're here to help you succeed in your career, advocate for public school students, and stay up to date on the latest education news. Sign up to stay informed.
National Education Association

Great public schools for every student

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.