Hear from Business Leaders Who Champion Education

Business leaders have a unique and vital voice in making the case for education reform. Below are quotations from leaders in the business community, taken from speeches, articles, op-eds and testimonies, that exemplify how one may use a bully pulpit to champion the education issues that are of vital importance to America's position in the global economy.

“Competing for the future means it is time to get serious about figuring out how to create a skills advantage for American workers and companies. We need new strategies for success that will ensure that America’s next generations can compete successfully and enjoy a rising standard of living.”
-- Deborah L. Wince-Smith, President, Council on Competitiveness, Remarks at Congressional Briefing, Apr. 30, 2008.

 “Despite years of calls to action, there has been little improvement in student science achievement, or in the number of students pursuing studies or careers in science.  Our nation, our families, our students need to realize that science isn't just a school topic. It's a life issue. Every year that shows no improvement puts this country at a dangerous disadvantage as we fall further behind in our ability to confront the enormous science-based challenges facing the world. Every sector of society – government, business, philanthropy, schools, and cultural institutions – must be committed to this strategic goal and its successful implementation.”
-- Ellen V. Futter, President, American Museum of Natural History, Remarks at Science Generation: A National Imperative Summit, April 7, 2008

 “For many years, our national commitment to education – particularly in the areas of math and science – has lagged behind what is needed to maintain and expand our global leadership in innovation. We know we are facing a transition, and we must take this opportunity to provide today's students with the tools and the thinking that is required for the future. If we miss this transition, we risk losing the innovation that has powered the past decade of economic and technological growth, and we leave an entire generation unprepared to meet and overcome the challenges they will face.”
-- John Chambers, Chairman & CEO, Cisco Systems, Op-Ed in Forbes, Jan. 23, 2008.

“Until we transform the American high school for the 21st century, we will continue limiting the lives of millions of Americans each year. The cost of inaction substantially increases each year that we fail to act.”
-- Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation, Written Testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. March 7, 2007.

“There’s nothing more important in the United States today than the discussion of international competitiveness … And there are three key things involved there.  Number one is education.  You have to have an educated workforce.  Number two is you have to have ideas for the next generation of products, services and companies.  That’s where basic investment and research and development are important.  Number three is you have to have an environment where smart people get together with smart ideas and do something.  But none of that has a chance to begin unless you have smart people.  And that’s why education is always the number one priority.”
-- Craig Barrett, Chairman & former CEO of Intel Corporation, Speech before the National Higher Education Leadership Summit, Jan. 22, 2007.

"The fact is, too many graduating seniors are unprepared for what will be required to succeed in college or in the workplace. We know that taking challenging courses is the best preparation for either path, yet we make it far too easy for too many of our young people, especially minorities, to graduate without being exposed to the rigor they need for success in college and careers. We must commit to the goal that a diploma means that all graduates have viable choices for life after high school.”
-- William G. Jurgensen, CEO, Nationwide, Op-ed in The Columbus Dispatch, Jul. 17, 2006.

“We can’t just focus on simply training scientists and engineers; we must also equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the demands of the 21st century both in the workplace and at home...For far too many students, not having sufficient early math education has become the barrier to a future not only in science, engineering, and technology, but also in many other fields that require strong quantitative and analytical skills.”
-- Michael G. Morris, Chairman, President, & CEO of American Electric Power Company, Inc. and Chairman of the Energy Task Force, Business Roundtable. Testimony before the Subcommittee of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies of the Committee of Appropriations, House of Representatives. Mar. 2, 2006

“Protecting our nation’s security includes protecting our economic security. America today remains the world leader in innovation, but our lead is slipping. We must inspire our children and our communities to look towards the future. We must make the investments that will invigorate research, strengthen science education, and nurture innovation in all fields.”
-- Gilbert S. Omenn, former Chairman of the Board of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Presidential Address at the AAAS Annual Meeting, Feb. 2006

 “The bottom line is that this nation cannot rightfully expect to lead the 21st century’s information and technology-driven global economy when we have upwards of 30 percent of our young people not even graduating from high school.”
--Thomas J. Donohue, President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. State of American Business 2006 Press Briefing, Jan. 4, 2006

 “After the Cold War, nearly 3 billion potential new capitalists entered the job market. A substantial portion of our workforce now finds itself in direct competition for jobs with highly motivated and often well-educated people from around the world. Workers in virtually every economic sector now face competitors who live just a mouse click away in Ireland, Finland, India, China, Australia and dozens of other nations.”
-- Norman R. Augustine, former chairman & CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation, Editorial in Washington Post, Dec. 6, 2005 

 “As technology and competition continue to shrink our world, developing nations are accounting for an ever increasing share of global trade and economic growth. If the U.S. is to preserve its position as a major economic power in the 21st century it must stay out in front of the innovation curve, and it will need a much better prepared workforce to do so.”
-- John Engler, President, National Association of Manufacturers and former Governor of Michigan, Sept. 2005

 “In a way, we are victims of our own success -- we have helped build and promote a truly global economy based on market capitalism, trade, technology, intellectual property, and innovation, yet we have failed to make the improvements to our own education system that provide the workforce for our team on the field.”
-- David Kearns, former Chairman & CEO (1982-1990) of the Xerox Corporation and former deputy U.S. Secretary of Education. Guest Editorial in The Corporate Citizen, Jul./Aug., 2005

“The most important element of being successful in helping states and communities improve high schools is leadership. We must have strong leadership from the business community, the educational community and from elected officials to ensure strong and effective public-private partnerships. We need leadership to agree on a vision of where we want to be as an educated society. We need to focus on high standards, effective accountability measures, and rewards for excellence.”
-- Bill Shore, Director U.S. Community Partnerships, GlaxoSmithKline. Testimony before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Subcommittee on Education Reform, U.S. House, “How the Private Sector is Helping States and Communities Improve High School Education,” Jun. 28, 2005

“As citizens of this great state, it is our responsibility to offer every child the best education that we can develop. It is a responsibility and obligation of the highest order. A twenty-first century education for all assures economic prosperity for our children and for our state. It really is a no-brainer.”
-- Dr. Jim Goodnight, CEO of SAS Institute. Keynote address at the North Carolina Citizens for Business & Industry’s Annual Meeting. Mar., 16, 2005.

“America’s high schools are obsolete…By obsolete, I mean that our high schools – even when they’re working exactly as designed – cannot teach our kids what they need to know today.  Training the workforce of tomorrow with the high schools of today is like trying to teach kids about today’s computers on a 50-year-old mainframe. It’s the wrong tool for the times.”
-- Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation, National Education Summit on High Schools, Feb. 2005

“If we want to maintain an economy and a society which has been at the cutting edge of technology … we have to enhance the capability or the skills of people coming out of our schools. You cannot have a highly complex capital structure without skilled people to essentially staff it.”
-- Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Testimony before the House Financial Service Committee, U.S. House, “Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress.” Feb.11, 2004