Chamber Promotes Business Involvement in Education

Presented Innovative Ideas to Improve Education at Detroit Conference

WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President Arthur Rothkopf and Center for American Progress (CAP) President and CEO John Podesta joined together today at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference to give a presentation on Workforce Preparedness: Non-traditional Approaches to Education Reform. At this 3-day conference, business and labor leaders, as well as Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm gathered to discuss a variety of issues critical to Michigan.

"We need to fundamentally rethink how we provide education in this country," said Rothkopf. "Education is a matter of critical national urgency. What's at stake is nothing less than the continued success and competitiveness of the American economy—and the continued viability of the American Dream. The business community must get involved in ensuring an educated and skilled workforce for the future."

During the presentation, Rothkopf described Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness and stated that the goal of the report is to spur policymakers, the business community and the general public to implement policies which will lead to increased student achievement and preparedness for postsecondary education and the workforce.

Despite the fact that overall Michigan's performance on the report card was average, there are positive policy changes which should be acknowledged. In 2006 Governor Granholm signed into law comprehensive high school graduation requirements called the Michigan Merit Curriculum. Students are required to take four credits of math and English; three credits of science and social studies; and two credits of a foreign language. As an example of innovation, Michigan became the first state in the nation to require all students to take an online course or have an online learning experience in order to graduate from high school.

In addition to the report card, the Chamber and CAP released A Joint Platform for Education Reform which targets the education system's critical unmet needs: better teaching, more innovation, better data, and better management. This document focuses on the core structural changes that follow most directly from the findings in the report card.

"These recommendations warrant serious consideration," said Podesta. "We can no longer maintain the status quo of our nation's education system when society and the global economy demand more from us every day. Significant improvements in the educational outcomes of all children can be achieved if states begin to adopt our recommendations."

The U.S Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than
3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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