Educators discuss need for computer science education

May 14—OTTAWA — The Putnam County Educational Service Center (ESC) held an event Tuesday featuring a conversation with local educators on the need for computer science education, specifically when students try to find jobs in various business sectors.

This comes after the ESC received a grant from the Teach Computer Science Grant Program, a program that allocated $8 million by way of Ohio House Bill 33 to help increase computer science education opportunities in local schools.

"This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Putnam County Educational Service Center and the Ohio STEM Learning Network," said Putnam County ESC Curriculum Coordinator Gary Herman. "This Putnam County ESC was awarded $500,000 for this program and is only one of six ESCs in Ohio to receive this opportunity. The goal is to provide free training and resources to educators, foster the development of essential computer science skills in our students, and strengthen workforce development to help businesses in the northwest Ohio region."

According to a presentation at the event, teachers can use the funds to earn a computer science endorsement or supplemental license or engage in continuing education.

Ohio STEM Learning Network Director Kelly Gaier Evans spoke about national and state statistics at the event and the steps teachers need to take to become eligible to teach computer science.

She said out of the top 10 occupational groups projected to grow the fastest nationally, computer and mathematical positions placed second behind healthcare support. She also cited a report from JobsOhio that shows Ohio has a talent gap that is widening by about 11,000 every year, so businesses' demand for employees continues to grow quicker than the supply of employees.

Gaier Evans said 62 percent of Ohio schools offer a foundational computer science course, and compared to other states, that makes Ohio number 28 in the nation. Small schools in Ohio are two times less likely to offer foundational computer science courses. Ohio has just over 3,000 licensed computer science teachers.

"And when we look at the surrounding states and the states we're competing with, when we're trying to figure out like, are we going to be able to bring this new industry or keep an existing industry in the state, that data becomes really important," Gaier Evans said.

First District Ohio Sen. Rob McColley attended the event as he was one of the co-sponsors of Ohio House Bill 33.

"These people — our new graduates, our young people in particular, and even our incumbent workforce — have an increasing demand for these skills," McColley said. "They need to understand what it takes to be able to operate in an ever-changing work environment that is going to need to become more and more efficient, by necessity, because of some of the workforce issues that are going on... and in order to keep up the productivity that we've had for so many years, people have to become more efficient."

"Computer science is going to enable people most importantly, not just with the basic skills, but the problem-solving ability to be able to have the creativity necessary to get around the challenges that they're going to have going forward," McColley said.

K-12 educators will have an opportunity to participate in summer workshops in computer science and computational thinking, one of which will be held June 10-14 at the Putnam County ESC, 124 Putnam Parkway, Ottawa. For more information, visit https://osln.org/how-we-help/professional-development/computer-science/.