Recently in the news are two articles that relate to improving Computer Science Education. It is valuable to broaden the base of students who understand the basics of computing, just as students are expected to know Chemistry or Calculus. In fact in my biased opinion, knowing the basics of computing and programming will have greater practical benefit to students; however, it should never be at the expense of a diverse education.
The White House announced that the 7 largest school districts will be including Computer Science in their curriculum. This will quickly lead to another problem of who will teach the Computer Science classes. Not me, but I am interested in teaching the teachers. I do want to see Computer Science as an actual specialty (endorsement) for Education majors.
Another aspect of broadening the base is retaining students enrolled in the major. Being part of the majority, it is difficult for me to know the challenges faced by other groups. Similarly, I know why I entered Computer Science, so I would like to understand why others have too. Why are they passionate or interested in this field that I am a part of? Here are some things minority students have to say about STEM.
