Education, Workforce, and Competitiveness
The 2011 World Economic Forum rankings dropped the United States from fourth to fifth in overall competitiveness. More disturbing than the overall ranking was the trend (U.S. down X%, China up Y%). Moreover, certain much greater vulnerabilities in specific subcategories emerged. The United States ranks 34th in overall quality of primary education, putting it behind Lebanon, Estonia, and Costa Rica.
These rankings are not abstractions, but instead have very real implications for all Americans. As millions of unemployed citizens struggle to find jobs our national security companies are faced with the absurd problem of not being able to find qualified Americans to fill jobs that cannot be occupied by foreign nationals for security reasons. If our educational system continues to fail our nation’s students, not only their futures as individuals, but also our overall national and economic security will be put at risk.
Technological innovation has played a special role in the historical economic prosperity of the United States, and success in this area is predicated upon a world class education system. Even though knowledge is extremely mobile in the global economy there is still a premium to be reaped from being first. It is a premium that we will continue to concede to other nations if we do not heal our broken educational system.
Doing so will require action by all stakeholders: teachers, administrators, students, parents, industry, unions, and government. It will require all these constituencies to, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, “think anew and act anew.” CSPC has committed itself to exploring ways to reform the educational system. It has pursued this goal primarily through three initiatives: