[Source: eSchool News] — America’s governors are facing up to some harsh realities: Their states’ schoolchildren are not ready for the 21st century, their workers are not trained for the new jobs created every day, and their businesses are not competing as strongly as they must to keep ahead. The only way to thrive amid globalization is to change, and states are past due for a sweeping transformation of education, worker training, and economic development, governors agreed Feb. 26 after days of discussions at the annual winter meeting of the National Governors Association.
“The plain fact of the matter is the world has changed,” said Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat who sought to convince her fellow state leaders that globalization is their problem. “We must have a sense of urgency as governors. … What we’re doing now does not suffice.”
Meetings over four days hammered home her point. School teachers, business leaders, scientists, and pollsters all delivered the same message: Overhaul school curricula, retrain workers, and revamp economic development so that businesses build upon each other, rather than pit one state against another. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]