• “Children in school today will be the first generation that will be less educated than their parents. Critics say, ‘So what if America’s education rankings aren’t at the top? America’s schools have always been in the middle of the pack, and it hasn’t hurt us.’ These people don’t realize that schools in other industrialized nations are leapfrogging ahead of us. Our kids are just not getting the skills they need to compete in the global economy with India, China, Singapore, and other nations.” ~ Michelle Rhee, former D.C. schools chancellor & founder of StudentsFirst.
  • “The pressures we are subjecting teachers to are taking a toll. When our leaders hold schools responsible for overcoming poverty, teachers sometimes feel as if their work is never enough. And in addition to meeting all the needs of their students, teachers are also expected to constantly monitor data, communicate with parents, and even act as a security guard when violence invades the school. Many teachers have families of their own and find themselves in a losing race to meet the competing demands for their time and energy . . .  And when we expect teachers to be not only instructional leaders but sometimes counselors, parents, and mentor figures to students, it is no wonder they feel like they are drowning.” ~ Anthony Cody
  • “Even technology wizards can become more innovative with a solid background in liberal arts. When Steve Jobs was creating the first Mac, he recalled a calligraphy class he’d taken and said, ‘If I had never dropped in on that single course, the Mac would never had had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts.’ Sure, science and math can fire up people’s imaginations, but so can literature and philosophy–and even calligraphy. We need well-rounded students and not just STEM geniuses.” ~ Katrina Trinko, National Review Online
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