Transcript
America's education system is failing its students. The U.S. Department of Education estimates 30 percent of students who start high school don't finish in 4 years ---that number jumps to almost 50 percent for low income families. And many students who graduate high school are not prepared for college or the workforce. This is one of the reasons why the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is making education and workforce one of its top priorities. Just a few of the Chamber's efforts are: releasing state report cards in 2007 to assess how each state's K through 12 education system is preparing its students to compete in the 21st century. Also we helped create the TAP coalition - which will concentrate on doubling the number of science, technology, engineering and math graduates by the year 2015. And finally - the Chamber will lead a coalition of business groups with the goal of renewing and strengthening the No Child Left Behind Act. It is our goal to make high school graduates college and workforce ready. This is essential to maintain American competitiveness world wide. Tbrough policy initiatives, business outreach and its grassroots network -the Chamber of Commerce will find and help implement solutions to preserve the American workforce as this country's greatest business asset and its strongest future resource.
--Arthur Rothkopf
Senior Vice President of the Chamber's Education & Workforce Initiative
U.S. Chamber of Commerce | 
