The clout of Kentucky’s business community in support of the new, tougher academic standards now being taught in Kentucky’s classrooms is the initial focus of a new group brought together by the Kentucky Chamber Foundation and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence.
Dozens of business leaders from across Kentucky have signed on as members of The Business Leader Champions for Education to push for dramatic improvement in the state’s schools and to support educators and students as they work toward that goal.
The new organization, made up of corporate executives and other business leaders from across the commonwealth, is chaired by James R. Allen of Louisville, CEO of Hilliard Lyons.
The new internationally benchmarked academic standards are focused on better preparing students for college and the workplace. Many Kentucky employers have identified “talent development” as their greatest challenge and top priority.
“The changes now underway in Kentucky’s schools hold great promise for creating a more highly skilled workforce that is better equipped to meet the needs of employers,” said Dave Adkisson, president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. “To compete in a knowledge-based, global economy, we must improve the academic performance of our students.”
Business Leader Champions for Education will communicate to educators, students, parents, policy leaders and other Kentuckians about the vital importance of preserving the new standards — and the challenging work they require — to build a more competitive education system in the state.
Business support for education has always been essential for Kentucky, Allen noted, citing the 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act and the postsecondary education reforms of 1997.
“The state is once again at a critical place in its quest for educational excellence, and the need for a strong employer voice is greater than ever. Kentucky’s business leaders can make a positive difference for schools, students and the state’s future if we join together and share our expectations for Kentucky education and our support for the people and institutions that make the right things happen.”
The Business Leader Champions effort is part of an initiative of the Chamber Foundation, working in partnership with the Prichard Committee, to raise employer awareness of and support for the new standards. The initiative has the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“Employer support for the new standards is critical to ensuring they guide the state toward achieving its goals for better schools,” said Stu Silberman, executive director of the Prichard Committee. “This is hard and challenging work, but it is work that must be done if we are to make significant and sustainable progress.”
The Business Leader Champions group plans to speak up publicly about developments in Kentucky’s schools that it believes will help, or hinder, the progression toward excellence, Allen added.
“We believe it is time for Kentucky’s employers to make ourselves heard, in an organized, positive and constructive way, about what we need our schools to be to ensure a prosperous future for the state and all of its citizens,” Allen said. “We plan to be vocal in our support for schools, students and teachers as they work to make that stronger future a reality."