The Online Learning Imperative: A Solution to Three Looming Crises in Education

Governor Bob Wise & Robert Rothman340K PDF:

In his blockbuster best-selling book, writer Malcolm Gladwell identified a phenomenon called ―the tipping point.‖ This point marks the level at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable and something happens that, in either large or small measure, turns the world on its axis. For those who have been working to improve education, it appears that the tipping point may have finally arrived.

Currently, K-12 education in the United States is dealing with three major crises, each of which on its own is capable of wreaking havoc on schools and communities around the nation, but together are an all-out perfect storm. Simultaneously, the U.S. education system is facing

• global skill demands vs. educational attainment;
• the funding cliff;
• and a looming teacher shortage.

These three factors have brought our education system to a point where the need for change and innovation is no longer something to be researched and discussed. We must do what people have done for centuries and turn crisis into opportunity, somehow making progress in the face of enormous challenges.

Via the Alliance for Excellent Education.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at February 18, 2010 8:40 AM
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