Technology Alliance Urges Washington Education and Policy Leaders to Maintain Commitment to Meaningful Math and Science Graduation Requirements
Organization of innovation leaders calls any retreat from state's commitment to provide all students with a meaningful high school diploma in the 21st century economy "unconscionable"
SEATTLE, WA – November 19, 2009 — The Technology Alliance, a statewide, not-for-profit organization of leaders from Washington’s technology and related businesses and research institutions, today issued the following statement in response to Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn’s proposal to delay and alter high school graduation requirements in math and science:
The Technology Alliance is very concerned that Superintendent Dorn’s proposal signals a retreat from the state’s commitment to ensure all students possess the foundational knowledge and skills they need to be successful in post-secondary education and 21st century careers. As a state education strategy, repeated delays and watering down of expectations – at the expense of driving reforms that would prepare our students to meet those expectations – would be unconscionable and a grave disservice to Washington’s children, with far-reaching consequences for their futures and the future economic competitiveness of our entire state.
The Technology Alliance urges our state leaders to pursue with urgency the set of actions necessary to raise student achievement and provide a quality education to all Washington students. This means alignment of minimum course-taking requirements with the expectations of college and the workplace through implementation of the “CORE 24” curriculum approved by the State Board of Education; a concerted focus on teacher quality, including an evaluation system that enables school leaders to manage personnel in the best interests of students; and data and accountability systems that will empower teachers, school leaders, parents and policymakers to take the steps necessary to ensure our K-12 system is fulfilling our commitment to prepare students to be successful after high school.
“We have been through this – we have delayed the assessment requirement before, and I am deeply concerned that, with yet more foot-dragging, we are sending the wrong message to educators, students, parents, and employers, not to mention the federal government at a time when it is looking to invest in state education systems that demonstrate a commitment to rigorous standards and innovation,” observed Technology Alliance Chair Jeremy Jaech, CEO of Verdiem. “Washington education and policy leaders need to maintain the commitment to a meaningful graduation requirement in math and science, and direct their energy toward making the transformative changes that our system requires in order to provide our students with the knowledge and skills they need to be informed, engaged citizens and compete for family-wage jobs.”
“Our students can dramatically improve their performance, but only if they have a system committed to their success, not one that continues to make excuses and delays on meaningful reform,” said Susannah Malarkey, executive director of the Technology Alliance. “We have explained to state leaders in the past that our state’s increasing reliance on attracting outside talent as our sole strategy for creating a high tech workforce puts our emerging businesses at a big disadvantage and is not sustainable. But beyond the economic development argument is one of basic fairness: when are we going to get serious about ensuring Washington students directly benefit from the opportunities our economy is creating?”
“We can not afford to retreat on math or science,” stated Jaech. “If we do, Washington simply would not be fulfilling its obligation to prepare our students to take the next step in their educational or career paths.”
“If, as Washington likes to say, ‘innovation is in our nature,’ then a high school diploma that actually prepares students for an innovation economy should be the natural choice for us to make.”