Monday, September 8, 2008

One Thing We Don't Want to Change

Thomas Friedman wrote a brilliant article in the Times last week about innovation in the U.S. At the moment, we are the most innovative country in the world, though that is changing. Quickly. And though there are a lot of people in the press these days talking about change, few are talking about innovation, much less the need to foster that effort in our people. And it needs to be addressed, head on. Now. 

We are spending a lot of time talking about how to save manufacturing. The trouble is we can't save manufacturing if we don't save the innovative processes that dictate what to manufacture. And we can't save the innovative process and its wonderful outcomes without seriously addressing education - and that includes K-12, college, and graduate school, the latter of which is nearly becoming a non-negotiable credential for those who want a modicum of job and financial security. In the case of K-12 education, the improvement child health and well-being is critical. And without K-12 education, we don't have a prayer. 

Despite the fact that I have been a fan of Barack Obama since his entry into politics, I voted for Hilary Clinton in the primary. Many people ask me why when she seems so divisive and polarizing. One simple reason - I believed she would fix healthcare, which leads to better K-12 education which fosters innovation that supports our economy and global competitive advantage. Healthcare is a root cause to so many other problems we have in the U.S., and around the world. And if were going to talk about priorities and what to focus on first in this next Presidency, my wish would be that we make good health for every American a non-negotiable goal.       

3 comments:

PodSquadHQ said...

Christa - this is the THIRD time I've read or heard about Friedman today - he did a great interview on Fresh Air:


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94385403&ft=1&f=1004

Cheers,
Stace

Christa said...

Thanks for this link, Stace, and for reading my blog! How goes everything in C'ville? I miss that beautiful place!

-Christa

Anonymous said...

Hi Crista--After decades of working at school change, I stumbled across a combination of conditions entirely under a teacher's control that cause students K-12 to learn deeply and love it. I explain how in my book "The Silver Bullet Easy Learning System: How to Change Classrooms Fast and Energize Students for Success." I'm glad to send anyone a free ebook copy and comment on their school-related problems at no charge. Email me at jjensen@gci.net. (For a print copy, call Xlibris directly for 15% off and for more info, go to www.silverbulletlearning.com)