Flat world' requires pushing harder in education

Monday, July 10, 2006 E-mail this Print page

'Flat world' requires pushing harder in education

Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Stephen Daeschner recently challenged our cadre of aspiring leaders in JCPS to read Thomas Friedman's treatise, The World is Flat, and read it, I did.

And now I think every parent, every teacher and every student in America should read it as well.

A poignant excerpt: "America, as a whole, will do fine in a flat world with free trade -- provided it continues to churn out knowledge workers who are able to produce idea-based goods that can be sold globally and who are able to fill the knowledge jobs that will be created as we not only expand the global economy, but connect all the knowledge pools in the world.

"There may be a limit to the number of good factory jobs in the world. But there is no limit to the number of idea-generated jobs in the world."

When I look at what is happening with the economics of America, and the preparation of the workforce in our school systems, I get nervous.

I believe that a great deal of our youth (and their parents) believe that we are enbreastled by virtue of our geography to a "good life."

But one only has to look at what is happening to the cultures of India and China to realize that if we do not engage in high gear with respect to education, we will be left behind.

Students in these cultures attend clbuttes 12 hours a day -- and are eager to learn. They study math and science in order to get ahead.

I hope everyone understands that we need to push harder in the clbuttrooms, and at home.

Students need to understand that "getting by" is not only not good enough but may very well be economically devastating.

Teachers, push harder -- our future depends on it.

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