After reading this article, I definitely found it very opinionated yet more like a more forward giving of common sense. It kind of says, "Hello...America...are you there...wake up!"  A quick personal notes would be that I typically do not involve myself in the news.  I like to live in my safe bubble and line drive the curve balls when they come.  However, I have to stay up to date with some things or I will be completely out of the loop. The news makes people worry, sad, stressed, and of course informed. (This would be my main reason for my bubble!) I think that things are definitely changing as we speak with the new Next Generationscience standards coming into place for the next school year.  I have looked at them and they seem very STEM focused.  The content is not very extensive for the grade level I teach.  There are specific sections for technology and engineering though.  I feel the US is getting on track somewhat with STEM education in schools, but they seem to think that just by making standards more rigorous for students, it will make them chose a STEM career.  Making the standards more rigorous is fine, but when the student is so discouraged because they do not understand the content or concept of any of it...how are they going to get through school to have a STEM career??? Kindergarteners do not learn how to color, cut, tie shoes, write their name, eat over their lunch tray, etc. anymore...and you cannot guarantee they will learn it at home anymore either.  All in all, I feel the US is not fully focused on the education of our future.  The government seems much more concerned about other things.  Another side note...how can lower elementary grades implement STEM ideas into teaching when resources are unavailable due to budget cuts?