The United States needs to put science education front and center as it fundamentally remakes its schools, says a high-profile national report out today. The Carnegie Corporation of New York – Institute for Advanced Study Commission on Mathematics and Science Education is drawing support from an impressive who's who of education interest groups, even if they don't agree on all the specifics.

Among its recommendations: Stepped-up development of math and science teachers, especially for high-poverty schools, and experimenting with scholarships and "pay incentives" to help with recruiting. (Florida has taken a tiny step on the former , and virtually no steps on the latter. Math and science teachers always make the state's list of critical teacher shortage areas.)

"We believe that mathematics and science education as currently provided to most American students falls far short of meeting their future needs or the needs of society," the Carnegie report says. "Further, we contend that mathematics and science – and science in particular – have received too little attention in recent rounds of school reform."

- Ron Matus, state education reporter