This PowerPoint presentation serves as a Call to Action for American educators in light of our ever-growing global economy and "flattening" of the world.

1. For which century are you preparing your learners? Now Is the Time for Change in American Education

2. “Our Nation is at risk. Our once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world.” A Nation at Risk, April, 1983, http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/risk.html

3. It has been 27 years since we first received this call to action for the American people. But what have we done since then?

4. Are we asking our students to travel back in time each time they come to school? Welcome to 1980! Or traverse oceans to understand our global competitors and colleagues?

5. What does it take to motivate us to change? Think of a change you’ve made in the last five years—personally or professionally. Write it down. What led you to make the change? List the steps it took you to make the change? What kind of support did you need to make the change? From where did you get the support? Have you been able to sustain the change? If so, how? If not, why? Adapted from Leading Change in Your School: How to Conquer Myths, Build Commitment, and Get Results by Douglas B. Reeves, 2009, ASCD

6. What does it take to motivate us to change? It took September 11, 2001, to get us to look more seriously at security measures. It has taken global warming to get us to worry about recycling. How far behind in the global economic race does America have to fall before we figure out what to do to catch up? Change Knowing Doing

7. The future ain’t what it used to be. ~Yogi Berra

8. “Curriculum” From the Latin meaning, “a path to run in small steps” Where is our path taking our students?

9. What Is the Value of Education? Consider the following statistics from the U. S. Department of Labor and Census Bureau: College graduates made an average of $51,554 in 2004. Those with advanced degrees made $78,093. Adults with a high school diploma made $28,645 High school dropouts averaged $19,169 http://www.learnmoreindiana.org/needtoknow/Pages/Valueofeducation.aspx

10. What Is the Value of Education? 75% of future jobs are likely to want employees with at least a license or certificate. Occupations that require a bachelor's degree are projected to grow the fastest, nearly twice as fast as the national average for all occupations. http://www.learnmoreindiana.org/needtoknow/Pages/Valueofeducation.aspx

11. What Is the Value of Education? On average, a college degree is worth an extra $23,000 a year. $23,000 x 40 years = $920,000 http://www.learnmoreindiana.org/needtoknow/Pages/Valueofeducation.aspx

12. Educators must understand . . . Global economic trends and perspective China, India, and Japan represented 18% of the world’s gross domestic product in 2004. That figure is expected to reach 50% of the world’s GDP within 30 years. One in five U.S. jobs is tied to international trade and increasing. Over 400,000 U.S. income tax returns were processed in India last year. Teachers need a deep understanding of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all human beings—cultural knowledge; linguistic abilities. Multiple sources, including Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a Changing World edited by Heidi Hayes Jacobs, 2010, ASCD; Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization by Yong Zhao, 2009, ASCD

13. Educators must understand . . . Science and technology trends Technology and automation of jobs is taking over the labor market, saving employers salaries and benefits. Jobs are being moved to the worker, such as the case with Jet Blue airlines using at-home workers for reservations. 34% of doctoral degrees in natural sciences and 56% of engineering PhDs in the U.S. are awarded to foreign-born students. In how many classes is keyboarding, typing a paper in Word, and creating a Powerpoint presentation considered peak technology implementation? Multiple sources, including Thomas Friedman in his 2005 speech at MIT; “Jobs and the Skills Gap” by Willard R. Daggett; Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization by Yong Zhao, 2009, ASCD

14. Is our educational system “broken”? 3 in 10 college freshman repeat high school courses. Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization by Yong Zhao, 2009, ASCD

15. Is our educational system “broken”? 1.2 million students drop out of high school every year—a student drops out every 26 seconds. Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization by Yong Zhao, 2009, ASCD

16. Is our educational system “broken”? 70% of 8th-graders can’t read at grade level. Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization by Yong Zhao, 2009, ASCD

17. Is our educational system “broken”? America’s high school graduation rate ranks 19th in the world. Forty years ago, we were first. Strong American Schools, 2008

18. The greatest tragedy in America is not the waste of our natural resources. The real tragedy is the waste of our human resources.~Oliver Wendell Holmes

19. 13 Principles of Change 1. Decide with data, not opinions. “The Process of Change—Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It” by Dr. Richard Jones, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2008

20. 13 Principles of Change 2. Enlist passionate people who see the possibilities. “The Process of Change—Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It” by Dr. Richard Jones, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2008

21. 13 Principles of Change 3. Focus on fluency in literacy. “The Process of Change—Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It” by Dr. Richard Jones, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2008

22. 13 Principles of Change 4. Grow staff through professional learning. “The Process of Change—Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It” by Dr. Richard Jones, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2008

23. 13 Principles of Change 5. Hold teams accountable for learning results. “The Process of Change—Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It” by Dr. Richard Jones, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2008

24. 13 Principles of Change 6. Inspire innovative instruction—instruction matters more than structure. “The Process of Change—Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It” by Dr. Richard Jones, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2008

25. 13 Principles of Change 7. Join with the community to form true partnerships. “The Process of Change—Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It” by Dr. Richard Jones, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2008

26. 13 Principles of Change 8. Know your students, know your strengths, no excuses. “The Process of Change—Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It” by Dr. Richard Jones, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2008

27. 13 Principles of Change Live lofty expectations. “The Process of Change—Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It” by Dr. Richard Jones, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2008

28. 13 Principles of Change 10. Measure learning by proficiency. “The Process of Change—Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It” by Dr. Richard Jones, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2008

29. 13 Principles of Change 11. Nurture positive relationships. “The Process of Change—Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It” by Dr. Richard Jones, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2008

30. 13 Principles of Change 12. Offer multiple pathways to achievement. “The Process of Change—Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It” by Dr. Richard Jones, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2008

31. 13 Principles of Change 13. Prioritize the curriculum—less is more. “The Process of Change—Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It” by Dr. Richard Jones, International Center for Leadership in Education, 2008

32. “We are confident that the American people, properly informed, will do what is right for their children and for the generations to come.” A Nation at Risk, April, 1983, http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/risk.html

33. Consider yourself “properly informed.” What will you do with the information? What do we need to cut, to keep, and to create to prepare our learners for the century in which they will live?

34. I’d Like to Teach the World to Think Educational Change . . . It’s the real thing.

35. A Call to Action by Meredith Hairell University of Houston--Victoria