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Executive Summary and other thoughts

Submitted by Randy Ziegenfuss on Sun, 02/04/2007 - 1:44pm.

I am not sure exactly how we are starting, but here are some initial thoughts...

I've read the first third, and so far the report clearly ties our economic future to education. Yet the report has largely gone unnoticed in our country. What will it take for our leaders to think (and act) seriously concerning the role of education? Even if we Americans had a passion for education, what kind of system would we be promoting? The same old, same old -- one that focuses on analytical skills and ignores creativity?

[Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573223085/freeagentnati-20/) [links don't seem to be working] and Ken Robinson's TED Talk (http://ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=ken_robinson) reminded me of the driving themes in the report.]

Things seem so hopeless! Our educational system is in such a mess, that developing a whole new system seems the best path (and toughest). So many reforms have failed, how could we ever scrap this system and start anew? It is such a daunting task. And on top of it, few seem to really care or get it. Everyone is so busy dealing with minutia rather than seeing the big picture.

I'll be prepared to lead discussion (using the protocols) for Part I of the report when everyone is ready. I am looking foward to digging into the ideas presented in the report. I hope by the end of our discussions I am not feeling things are so hopeless!

Report noticed by the Education Policy Elite

Submitted by Jennifer Stillman on Mon, 02/05/2007 - 2:33pm.

In an attempt to ameliorate some of your frustration, I can say that while the report has not been noticed or taken as a wake up call by the majority of Americans, it is being talked about by the education policy elite. While I was in Washington D.C. for an education policy institute last month, we had numerous guest speakers, people influential in education policy circles. Almost all of them made some reference to the Skills Commission Report. They had read it. They were talking about it. And these are the people who are talking to our policy makers. So....doesn't mean the major ideas of the report will get implemented anytime soon, but, they will at least be a part of future education policy debates, a part of the on-going ed policy conversation in D.C.

I'm ready to start the discussion of Part 1, others probably are too, or will take the start of the discussion as impetus to read quickly. Thanks for kicking things off Randy!