Every child in the United States deserves a world-class education.
Every child deserves to be educated to high standards that offer opportunities to be successful in an increasingly competitive global economy.
But in a world that is becoming more competitive through increasing international labor markets and rapid technological advances, the US is facing new challenges to its economic competitiveness.
Jobs in a competitive global economy are demanding higher-level skills, higher productivity, and innovation, and other nations are surpassing the US in improving their educational systems to increase achievement, reduce achievement gaps, and elevate the teaching profession.3 In other words, they are educating themselves as a way to a better economy. So must we.