EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE
BUsiness Horizon Quarterly
FINAL WORD In his 1968 work, The Age of Discontinuity, noted businessman, author, and educator Peter Drucker said, “Education has become too important to be left to educators.” Drucker’s guidance stresses how important it is for all of us (not just educators) to be involved with education. Nearly 50 years after he wrote those words, Drucker’s advice has been taken to heart. Today, elected officials at all levels of government, along with the media, the business community, educators, parents, and students are all debating one of the most important topics our country has ever faced—the future education of our children and the shaping of a competitive workforce. Study after study and measure after measure gives all Americans pause as we realize that we are not measuring up to our competitors on other continents. From mathematics and science test scores to producing highly skilled technical talent from our trade schools and other institutions of higher learning, our country is not making the grade. That’s a sobering fact for a superpower. This country’s strength (economically and strategically) was built by the muscle of some superbly strong and sharp minds. They were risk takers in the global marketplace of ideas, spurring groundbreaking efforts in technology, science, and exploration. As a result of those ideas, in addition to a strong pool of human capital and other investments from the late 19th and 20th centuries, America stands today as the envy of much of the world. That unique and envious standing, however, is not without risk and is not guaranteed. Parents and private and public leaders see a need to refresh and reinforce the American metric of being Number 1. This has driven vibrant debates over who is involved in education decisions and the diverse options that are being offered for students, educators, and employers to produce the talent that will keep the United States in the top spot. All of these actions point to something fundamental: people passionately care about this issue. They are not interested in complacency and status quo. They want new and positive results that show upward trends. They know standing in place and accepting the present offerings will not put them in the top tier. In their own way, they are adopting the long heralded NASA mantra, “Failure is not an option,” because they understand the consequences in terms of available opportunities and unfulfilled potential. For as much as some members of “the educational establishment” may not want newcomers actively taking a role in the debates on education policies and outcomes, the current metrics are indefensible. We have reached the realization that our education and workforce systems have to evolve to meet the needs of the populace they serve, and that often means changing the way things have always been done. When that happens, everyone feels a bit uncomfortable because it means students of all ages (and we should all be life-long learners) have to change as well. By getting outside our comfort zone, we are better able to meet the competition that lies beyond our borders while becoming a far more dynamic and creative force than we are today. That’s a winning formula on many levels, and it affords the promising future we all want to have for ourselves and the generations to come.
Rich Cooper Editor-in-chief