Baseball 1, Science 0

World Series hero Orel Hershiser has pitched another shutout—this time against U.S. science and math teachers. Last month President Reagan passed up a ceremony honoring 104 of the nation’s top junior and senior high school science and math teachers, even though the White House began the program in 1983 to demonstrate its commitment to improving science education in the U.S. His excuse? The Los Angeles Dodgers were coming to town—at his invitation—after winning the World Series. The hastily arranged White House reception took place on the same momma the teachers were being feted. That left NSF director Erich Bloch and presidential science adviser William Graham to pinch-hit. The two may have drawn the teachers’ applause, but NSF, which administers the program, wanted Reagan. Twice before, the president had shown up, but this year it was an uphill battle from the start. NSF officials had tried for...

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