CREATING A VISION FOR BUSINESS IN EDUCATION

School reform is a hot topic in the media right now. However, the need to change our 
K-12 education system is not a new issue. What is new according to a report prepared by the California Economic Strategy panel is that "our graduates and job-seekers are not matching up with the basic skills required by industries which will be the growth leaders in the 21st Century economy. Computer competence and utilization of rapidly changing technologies will be prerequisites to survive in the workforce." 

According to the Information Technology Association of America about 190,000 U.S. information- technology jobs need to be filled at any one time. It is estimated that 95,000 new jobs will be created each year for the next eight years for people with computer-related skills (Source: San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune Jan 3, 1998). 

So how do we begin to reform the educational system so that it meets the needs of students and the business community? Vision is at the heart of any change process. In planning for change it is the vision that drives our goals and actions. Business teachers can take a lead in this reform effort. Partnering with business and industry is familiar territory for Tech Prep, as is integrating academic and occupational education, school-based & work-based learning. Tech Prep resources can be the nuclei for new initiatives such as School-to-Career (STC). Tech Prep programs have a firm foundation from which comprehensive School-To Career systems can be built. Collaboration and cooperation are key to creating education systems that work for all stakeholders: student, employer, parent, community. So . . . take a business person to lunch! Invite them to serve on an advisory board, help you to develop a curriculum, speak in the classroom. Ask if you and/or your students can job shadow or intern at their place of business. Make a personal commitment to school reform. 

This is the message put out by three cabinet officials unveiling strategies to meet a critical shortage of trained workers. U.C. Berkeley, was the site of a two-day conference of government and industry officials, organized to discuss the lack of skilled computer workers. At a January 12 press conference, Education Secretary Richard Riley said "American minds can continue to lead if we nurture the immense talent pool at home." He also announced that up to $6 million in grants will be available for industry groups that expand private-sector involvement in teaching U.S. students technology skills. 

Contact the Employment and Training Administration Home Page at http://www.doleta.gov for information about availability of funds and grant applications. 

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Groundhog Job Shadow Day

FEBRUARY 2 is Groundhog Day! 

The National School -to-Work Office, National Employer Leadership Council, the American Society of Association Executives, Junior Achievement, and General Colin Powell’s volunteer organization, America’s Promise, are all partners in Groundhog Day. 

Contact your business partners and plan an activity! Positive publicity can result from this day. 

JANUARY 26 - FEBRUARY 2, is National School-to-Work Week. The involvement of high profile individuals such as General Colin Powell, promises to make this a significant media event. This is another opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of business and education partnerships. 

For news and information about Groundhog Day: http://www.jobshadow.org 

It is not too late to get involved! This web site has everything you need to help you set up a Job Shadow program in your school. Job Shadowing provides students a valuable "real life" experience in the world of work. 

Please let us know what activities are happening in your school. 

SEE COMING EVENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION 

For extensive coverage of the November 6-7 1997 Business and Marketing Education Symposium  and Registration for the Business and Marketing Education Forums 

Contact: http://www.Lndmark.com/BusEd 

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PARTNERSHIPS

A CEO writing in The Conference Board pointed out that forty of the fifty governors who helped develop Goals 2000 with President George Bush are no longer in office. And that the Business/Education Reform Coalition of which he is a member, has already outlasted two governors and two state education commissioners. We all know that there is no quick fix to the major systemic change that is being advocated for our schools. So where do we begin? How can we involve all the stakeholders and obtain their commitment for the long-haul? The National Association of Partners in Education suggests a 12-Step Process outlined here. 

Visit their web site: http://www.napehq.org for more information and resources. 

NAPE: 12 STEP PROCESS  

Depending on the circumstances of your partnerships, its goals, and the time and resources available, you may want to emphasize some steps more than others. However, it is important that you think about all of the steps at the outset, and then refer to them repeatedly during the development of your plan and as the partnership unfolds over the next several years. 

Please note that the process isn’t intended to give you a model to replicate. Instead, the development process can help you put together a partnership uniquely suited to the schools and businesses in your community. 

Step 1: AWARENESS: Informing key populations that a partnership is being considered as a means of improving the schools and community. 
Step 2: NEEDS ASSESSMENT: The process of gathering and interpreting information in order to formulate the goals and objectives of a partnership. 
Step 3: POTENTIAL RESOURCES: The people, materials, equipment, and funding available within a school, district, business and community to help meet identified needs. 
Step 4: GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: A goal is a broad based statement of purpose for the partnership. An objective is a statement of intended outcome for the partnership. It is measurable, specific and determines the focus of evaluation. 
Step 5: PROGRAM DESIGN: Designing specific strategies for achieving the partnership’s goals and objectives. 
Step 6: PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT: Establishing the partnerships’ administrative structure and setting the rules and regulations under which the partnership will function. 
Step 7: RECRUITMENT: Engaging people, organizations, and resources, to become involved in your partnership and to respond to the needs identified by the school and the community. Recruitment also serves as an ongoing awareness activity - an opportunity to let people know what your partnership is about. 
Step 8: ASSIGNMENT: Matching people who are interested in the partnership with the jobs that need to be done. Assignment is also the process of matching financial and material resources to identified needs. 
Step 9: ORIENTATION: The process that prepares people for involvement in a new experience and helps them to understand their roles, as well as the rules, policies, and procedures. 
Step 10: TRAINING: Preparing individuals or groups to perform specific tasks in predetermined situations. 
Step 11: RETENTION AND RECOGNITION: the art of keeping partners involved by encouraging their annual reenlistment. It is the key to maintaining a strong, effective partnership. Recognition is a major retention strategy to reward contributions. 
Step 12: MONITORING AND EVALUATION: through monitoring and evaluation, data is collected, interpreted and used for the purposes of programmatic decision making and improvement.