Education Week – Heather Singmaster
“Most United States governors have completed their annual State of the State and inauguration speeches, which included the outlines of their education priorities. They covered many trending topics such as the Common Core, early childhood education, and Career Technical Education (CTE)…As in years past, however, the topic of global education remained relatively unaddressed…Many governors’ speeches also referenced state competitiveness in the global economy and attracting global commerce…How can states create more jobs and be globally competitive? According to Missouri Governor Jay Nixon (D) “Education is the best economic development tool we have.” So if global competitiveness is a priority—and education is the key—shouldn’t governors want to promote a global education? Only two governors made the direct connection between the economy and global education in their speeches. Delaware Governor Jack Markell, (D) a long-time supporter of world language education, spoke about its importance. “We have also invested in language immersion programs because our children will have greater opportunities in the global economy when they can speak more than one language,” said Markell.”(more)