Flanagan, a middle school math teacher and an executive board member of the Hartford (Conn.) Federation of Teachers, testified at a U.S. Senate hearing on the Protecting America’s Competitive Edge (PACE) bill.

Based on recommendations from a report of the National Academy of Sciences, PACE will boost efforts to recruit qualified math and science teachers, particularly in hard-to-staff schools, and will help current teachers obtain advanced degrees in their subject areas.

Flanagan, who came to the United States from Puerto Rico when she was 12, told the Senate Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development how scholarships and grants made it possible for her to attend college and earn an advanced degree. A federally supported summer “bridge program” of intensive study in mathematics, chemistry, physics and computers enabled her to enter the University of Connecticut’s school of engineering. When she later switched to teaching, over the years she was able to take advantage of numerous professional development programs supported by federal and district funds.

Today, Flanagan is part of Hartford’s math curriculum team, a science and math mentor, a math coach, a member of the mayor’s educational task force and a portfolio scorer for the state’s beginning teacher support and training program.

“Where would students like me be without the help of federal grants and the support of federal, state and local programs?” she asked the subcommittee. “I represent the interests of students all across America who want to succeed in math, science and engineering. More importantly, I represent those students interested in math, science and engineering who want to become teachers. Let’s give them a way to get there.”

Flanagan also touched on broader issues not addressed by PACE but that affect recruitment and retention of math and science teachers. This includes the need for more mentoring of new teachers and better support for teachers who take leadership roles in their schools and districts. “We also need to look at the issue of school infrastructure,” she told the senators. Without adequate facilities, even most well-prepared teachers cannot provide the best opportunities for students to learn, particularly in math, science and technology, she said. “Many of our public schools, particularly in urban areas, lack the most basic physical resources, including up-to-date laboratories.”