Education is the key to outsourcing

In the next few months you’ll hear continued debate about the No Child Left Behind Act and the movement of jobs overseas otherwise known as outsourcing. Although these issues will be spoken as two separate challenges facing America, the reality is that one provides the solution for the other.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was passed with much fan fare and bi-partisan support in Congress. The intent to leave no child behind embodies everything America needs from its education system. The problems with implementing the massive reform program have been primarily due to limited resources and unlimited demands.

The NCLB represents the most far-reaching attempt at education reform in at least a generation. However at a time when over $100 billion is currently being spent to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan, a $8 billion increase is all we’ve been able to afford to rebuild education for the next generation of Americans. And after years of trying to comply with the cost and complexity of the act, many states are crying uncle.

In capitols from Utah to Virginia, legislatures have been taking bold steps to shield their local school districts from the act. To add to the toxic climate, the person responsible for implementing NCLB recently referred to the nations largest teacher’s union as a “terrorist organization”. I think Mr. Education Secretary needs to heed the timeless advice of the Beatles; Life is very short and there’s no time for fussing and fighting my friend.

Because meanwhile the American economy is struggling to create employment opportunities, while trying to protect the jobs it has now. In recent months, outsourcing has become the topic de jour as economists have searched for answers to the jobless economic recovery. While much of the rhetoric has been hyped by politics, the reality of global competition cannot be ignored.

According to Department of Labor, approximately 500,000 technology jobs have been lost overseas in the last few years. Although this represents a fraction of the 130 million employees in the U.S., it also represents a trend that is guaranteed to continue. At a recent technology summit, leaders of several prominent companies including Intel announced that most of their new employees hired this year would be filled overseas.

The rising tide of global economic expansion will continue to lift all boats including yours.

Last year alone your neighborhood WalMart accounted for 10% of all imports from China. The next time you’re strolling out with a basket full of bargains, think about how much you’re contributing to China’s astounding growth in gross domestic product. And the next time you check your stock portfolio, look to see how many of your investments have increased productivity while lowering costs by outsourcing to India.

During the nineties a popular phrase was born; knowledge based economy. An economy based on knowledge is highly mobile which creates economic opportunities regardless of geography. And aside from the protectionist rhetoric, the global economic engine will never downshift for very long. China and India will continue to invest more in education, continue to increase productivity and continue to attract foreign investments that will fuel growth. And no matter what politicians clamor for, global competition will prohibit many manufacturing segments from returning en masse to the United States.

We must move forward.

To begin, we must strive to successfully deliver cutting edge education. Ensuring highly qualified; well-paid teachers have ample resources to equip the next generation with the proper skill sets to continue growing America. Measuring student progress by adopting strong standards that embrace individual characteristics like student populations and geographic challenges. Providing necessary resources to remedy deficiencies as soon as testing reveals inadequacies in students and schools.

A properly funded and personally managed education reform is one of the essential ingredients to protect America’s ability to create and maintain high value jobs in a competitive world. The success or failure of the No Child Left Behind Act rests in the policy changes that are made today. If done right, future generations will handle economic transitions much smoother because every child will be ahead.