In West Virginia, the Governor has made a commitment to ensure business,
education, and labor leaders a permanent seat at the table for all
discussion and decisions around how we improve our economic climate,
enhance the educational opportunities, and build a system that does not
leave any segment of our population behind as we move the state forward
in the 21st century.
An overall goal of the Global Vision for the 21st Century plan is to
promote that educational achievement and economic development have a
lasting impact on earnings and quality of life. While there are many
issues, the bottom line is that West Virginia must develop its talent
and prepare its citizenry and workforce for the 21st century global
economy if we are to prevail.
Technology and globalization are changing the skills needed by workers
and the products demanded by markets. It also means that West Virginia
is competing not only with neighboring states and nationally but also
internationally. Success requires a seamless system that integrates
education policy with workforce and economic development, and business
strategies. The 21st Century Jobs Cabinet is a broadly representative
group of decision-makers that the Governor has charged to create the
blueprint and is co-chaired by Ralph Baxter, CEO of Orrick, Herrington,
& Sutcliffe, LLP, and myself, an educator and strong advocate for
children and families. As John Chambers, President and CEO, Cisco
Systems and Honorary Chair of our initial forum so succinctly stated,
“Jobs will go wherever the best workforce is …[and that increasingly
hinges on] ability.”
Primarily, we know that our citizens must be challenged to reach their
full potential through education and training programs built on academic
rigor, relevance, responsibility, and relationships, which is the very
premise of 21st century learning skills. This can only be accomplished
through cutting edge technology, which will include a statewide portal,
expanded broadband access, and proven best classroom practices in a
seamless approach from early childhood through adult programs at every
level.
From our dialogue, an action plan is being developed around specific
areas of
- Curriculum Transformation, which dramatically focuses on how we
teach and what schools look like in this millennium.
- Communication, which will require West Virginians not just to
teach new thinking skills but to do new thinking.
- Teacher Excellence, which means to attain (and retain) the skills
that will help them change results in the classroom and contribute to
needed system reforms, teachers must have meaningful professional
development that includes time for collaboration and sharing of best
practices during the regular school day.
- Strategic Partnerships, which must bring stakeholders together
and promote collaboration to solve the issues that will determine West
Virginia’s long-term economic prospects.
- Leadership, which promotes a voluntary plan of bringing business
principles and leadership skills to schools, colleges and universities,
but especially public schools-which provide the building blocks for
future life and work success-using the powerful team of a principal
paired with a corporate CEO and master educator.
Even with universal popular support for the systems transformation
called for in this initiative, committed leadership will be required to
make changes. At every level-from local district and program
administrators, to legislators, to state agency
officials-decision-makers must be willing to eliminate ineffectual
practices and embrace innovative ideas that will produce better results.
These issues combined with the 21st Century Jobs Cabinet – “P20” are
creating the opportunities for West Virginians to set a new standard and
raise the bar on our expectations for ourselves about who we are as a
state and the future we are promoting for all of our citizenry. It is
this diverse collection of philosophy, education, experience and
leadership that is different from the cabinets of yesterday; it is
different because it is not separate meetings with independent goals; it
is different because there is a governor in West Virginia today that
says anything is possible if we share information and agree to
respectfully disagree as we look for the common ground of understanding
and solutions; it is different because the stakes are higher but the
rewards are also greater; it is different because we are creating the
legacy for our children and grandchildren.
