School of the Future – what’s possible?

Day One – Spotlight – Senator Patty Murray – Washington State

Senator Murray presented an empassioned plea for urgent action in bringing about change in our education system, saying:

“The need to change the way we cater for education in our young people is urgent. We can’t reinvent our economy unless our workers are adequately prepared!”

She spoke about the solutions that are required, citing the three key principles identified by her team:

1. need to build partnerships between and among schools, businesses and the community (everyone must have a stake in the outcomes of education)
2. need to stop being afraid to change tradition
3. must absolutely back up our plans with adequate resources (sustained, long term efforts)

Senator Murray then went on to describe some of the interventions that her team are planning to make this a reality in the Washington area, finishing with the statement that;

“The link between academic performance and economic performance in critical.”