At the Aspen Institute Conference on Education

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

From the blog covering yesterday’s discussions at the Aspen Institute’s National Education Summit — An Urgent Call to Action.

John Engler:
“All the data is two-years old at best. We need to get data in real time. The National Assessment Governing Board should be privatized. It could be the NIH of education.”

“15,000 school systems around America. We could save millions of dollars if we standardize information and apply, across the board, lessons that we know work.”

“Business needs to see accountability if they are to get involved. College may not be for everyone but everyone must go into the workforce with a skill set. There is no place for unskilled labor today.”

Audience Questions:
We can increase our global competitiveness if we leave children behind — what are the economic and moral issues involved?

“If we’re to maintain a strong economic base, we need to have a strong manufacturing base of highly-skilled workers (fewer workers but more technology-based jobs).”


Posted @ 11:13 am | Category: Education and Training | Author: Carter Wood | Tags: | No Comments

The Aspen Institute on Educational Reform

Monday, September 15, 2008

The Aspen Institute is holding a national education summit today here in Washington, blogging the proceedings and remarks here. The agenda is here, and the day is being webcast here. It’s also on CSPAN-3.

NAM President John Engler participated in a panel discussion this morning, “Educational performance; what are the implications for the nation’s economy, global competitiveness, security, healthcare?” A clear way of making the point about accountability in education: If a school’s football team has a couple of losing seasons in a row, the coach gets fired. If the same school has the equivalent of only losing seasons when it comes to their students’ achievements, no one loses his job.


Posted @ 12:17 pm | Category: Education and Training | Author: Carter Wood | Tags: | One Comment

We’re Back Up, Looking to the Week Ahead

Monday, June 30, 2008

Shopfloor.org has returned from its involuntary hiatus, the result of unexpected server maintenance. Chinese hackers were not involved….that we know of.

Meanwhile, here’s the week ahead:

It’s a slow Fourth of July week here in Washington, D.C. The House is out until Tuesday, June 8, at 2 p.m. The Senate, save for a pro forma gaveling today — oops, missed it! — will convene again on Monday, July 7 at 10 a.m. First Senate items of business after the Fourth will be H.R. 3221, the housing bill, and H.R. 6304, FISA Amendments Act.

Executive Branch: President Bush travels to Bethesda Wednesday for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Walter Reed National Medical Center. On the Fourth, he becomes a Jeffersonian, speaking at Monticello’s 46th Annual Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony in Charlottesville, Va. Treasury Secretary Paulson is making a quick European tour (Russia, Germany, Britain) delivering the keynote speech on economy and the market at the Royal Society of Arts in London Wednesday. Commerce Secretary Gutierrez and Education Secretary Spelling are at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado participating in a panel Wednesday, “Strengthening Our Nation’s Workforce.”

Economic Reports: The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the employment numbers for June on Thursday morning.

Elsewhere, the African Union begins its annual meeting today in Cairo and France takes over EU’s rotating presidency on July 1.

Happy Independence Day.


Posted @ 11:36 am | Category: General | Author: Carter Wood | Tags: | No Comments

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