Sustaining Capitalism

Today, Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, President of the Committee for Economic Development, the public policy center of The Conference Board (CED), released the following statement:

As this is the week designated by the National Association for the Education of Young Children as Week of the Young Child, CED underscores the lifelong impact of high-quality early learning opportunities. For more than 50 years, CED has championed early childhood education as a critical building block for student learning success, a productive future workforce, and the prosperity of our nation. To learn more about early childhood access, visit CED's latest report series at https://www.ced.org/paidchildcare

As the nation strives to reinvigorate American education, CED reaffirms the importance of high standards as well as the critical role of public-private partnerships to spur innovation and cultivate successful 21st century-ready students and citizens. These priorities were reflected in our recent letter of public policy recommendations to the President and congressional leadership.

This week also marks the 40th anniversary of A Nation At Risk, a seminal report commissioned by then US Secretary of Education Terrel Bell on the quality of education in America. The report issued a clarion call to significantly improve the American education system, citing the decline in student achievement and global competitiveness. CED’s business leaders also published a report during this time to emphasize the economic imperative and called for higher standards, among other education reform efforts.

Reform efforts prompted by the 1983 national report yielded notable developments, including state-led initiatives to boost college- and career-readiness standards and national commitments to address persistent achievement gaps. Still, significant deficiencies persist—and today, four decades later, disruptions by the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated challenges within the education system.