An Economy that Works

This economy doesn’t work for working people. Instead of creating good jobs to compete in the global economy, we’ve given free rein to corporations, cut taxes on the wealthy and reduced protections for workers. Americans are working harder and getting less for it. Wages are stagnant. Costs for housing, health care and home heating oil have skyrocketed. Millions of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck and are only a serious illness or personal crisis away from poverty. While CEOs pocket tax cuts, bonuses and stock options, working Americans worry about credit card payments and the price of a tank of gas.

Reforming Teacher Certification

Any parent knows that having good teachers is critical to a child’s learning. But too many teachers in America’s public schools lack content knowledge in their subject or are not suited to the classroom. As schools struggle to meet the No Child Left Behind Act’s requirement to ensure all teachers are “highly qualified,” state policymakers need to take a hard look at their teacher preparation and licensure systems. The current approach to training and licensing teachers deters and disqualifies many people interested in teaching, yet still does not adequately guarantee the quality of teachers who are licensed. The problem is that our current approach creates “paper barriers” instead of connecting would-be teachers with opportunities to get the skills they need to begin teaching and helping them develop a professional career path.

Expanding Learning Time in Schools

Because our society is growing increasingly complex and our economy ever more global, young people need a wide range of knowledge in the core academic subjects, including reading, math, science, and social studies, while developing an unprecedented array of skills in computers and technology, problem-solving and critical thinking, written and oral communication, and teamwork. Yet in many schools, we continue to prepare our children for the challenges of the 21st century with a 19th-century approach to education. While it is true that most states have now adopted higher standards of learning, the basic structure of schools has not changed: schools are forced to squeeze an expanded curriculum into just 180 six-hour days, leaving teachers little time to help students explore, experience, and master material. On the flip side, the focus on standards and tests, along with funding limitations, have also meant that many of the activities that can engage children in learning and broaden their skills (e.g. arts, music, sports) have been reduced or eliminated.