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North Carolina Chamber Releases Education Recommendations,

Shares Top NC and US Programs at 3rd Annual Education Summit

 
“There’s a lot of work to be done that’s nobody’s job to do,” Dr. Ronald Ferguson told 120 business and education leaders during the North Carolina Chamber’s 3rd Annual Education Summit July 28 in Chapel Hill.  He called on top, charismatic influencers – in schools, universities, corporations, politics, civic organizations and philanthropists – to serve as the major engines behind making the US education system competitive again and ensure this isn’t the “Age of China.” 

 

Ferguson served as the keynote speaker at the summit and is a Senior Lecturer in Education and Public Policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kennedy School.  He is also author of Toward Excellence with Equity: An emerging vision for closing the achievement gap.

 

“This need for effective schools and a trained, skilled workforce is too important for the business community to ignore,” said Chamber President and CEO Lew Ebert, noting the reason why the Chamber hosts this annual summit.  “We want to help move our state’s education efforts forward, organize future business/education projects and highlight the business community’s current investments toward making North Carolina the best state for education and business.”

 

Ebert noted four themes of the day: 1) Great ideas are already in practice in North Carolina and the nation. 2) Recommendations were made on improving underperforming schools and implementing targeted programs, like STEM. 3) Business and education partnerships will help these programs succeed. 4) There’s a sense of urgency on what’s possible – and it’s up to us to make it happen.

 

Recognizing that education is a vital part of the state’s competitiveness, the North Carolina Chamber’s Education Committee Chairwoman Kirsten Weeks released their key education recommendations on education. She named the following key strategies, noting that the document is an evolving work and the result of input from numerous stakeholders:

 

  • Invest in technology and innovative programs that are results-based
  • Require high professional standards with performance-based expectations
  • Apply stringent accountability measures for every administrator, teacher and student
  • Implement global education best practices
  • Prepare all graduates with a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and the ability to write, communicate and think critically and creatively
  • Drive local collaboration between businesses, students, teachers and administrators in K-12
  • Align education and research with the state’s current and future needs by increasing collaboration between higher education and business, to help ensure students emerge from higher education with deep and broad skills, and are ready to work

In addition to Ferguson’s keynote address and the Chamber’s education recommendations, other highlights of the Education Summit include:

 

  • Dr. Gerry House, President and CEO of the Institute for Student Achievement, said the ISA focuses on turning around underperforming schools, seeing great success in their 80 schools in six states (Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Texas). Their goal is to “create high schools where students achieve personal excellence and where all students graduate college and career ready.”  Ninety percent of ISA ninth graders graduate, versus 68 percent of comparison students.  She noted that student success isn’t linked to teacher: student ratios (in New York the ratio remained 1:28), and the program works due to effective leaders; high academic standards; engagement with educators, students and teachers; and schools that seek continuous improvement.  Public schools get ISA funding from business partners and foundations.  ISA schools are not pilot programs, and schools are given tools to learn how to make better use of current resources and become entrepreneurial to recruit future resources. See the presentation here.
  •
    Jo Ann Norris    , President/Executive Director of the Public School Forum of North Carolina, presented their Our Kids Won’t Wait study laying out a 10-year plan making education recommendations, many with low- or no-cost solutions.  The Public School Forum of NC is a partnership of more than 80 business, political and education leaders working for public school reform. 
  • Panel – Business and Education:  Working Together
    • Dr. Eric Becoats, Superintendent – Durham Public Schools
    • Ms. Pamela Blizzard, Contemporary Science Center
    • Ms. Laura Hamre, Fidelity Investments
    • Mr. Mike McBrierty, Biogen Idec
    • Mr. Bill Shore, GlaxoSmithKline
    • Mr. Joe Freddoso, MCNC (moderator)
  • J. Domenic Giandomenico discussed the US Chamber of Commerce’s report Bold Leadership to Improve STEM Education:  A Report by the Institute for a Competitive Workforce. 
  • Panel – Great Ideas in Practice
    • Ms. Lynne Garrison, New Schools Project
    • Dr. Kathleen Kennedy, NC Biotechnology Center
    • Mr. Danya Perry, Communities in Schools NC
    • Mr. Karl Rectanus, NC STEM
    • Dr. David Tayloe, Reach Out and Read
    • Dr. Sam Houston, NC Science, Mathematics and Technology Education Center (moderator)

 


 		  
 
 
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