WSJ CEO COUNCIL: Cisco CEO: Education Is Top National Priority
By Roger Cheng, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Education should be the top national priority ahead
of health care, the economy and climate change, according to Cisco Systems Inc.
(CSCO) Chief Executive John Chambers.
Education should be an issue that brings together Democrats and Republicans at
a time when they can agree on little else, Chambers said. He helped present the
findings of an education-focused task force at the WSJ CEO Council conference
Tuesday.
The task force determined that the government should form a national council
for an educated work force, linking together the secretaries of education, labor
and commerce, said Accenture Ltd. (ACN) Chief Executive William Green.
"We don't have a national agenda to be tops in the world in education," Green
said. "On every measure, we're slipping."
Indeed, countries are doing a better job of preparing their children for the
global work force, Chambers said.
AT&T Inc. (T) Chief Executive Randall Stephenson said that the talent pool
coming out high schools is getting diluted.
"Parents need to recognize that their children are falling behind," he said.
Overhauling the education system will require a lot of hard decisions, Green
said, adding the Obama administration has to embrace reform.
"That's the thing," he said. "People will have to make the hard choices."
The concept of incentive plans and eliminating tenure to remove bottom-
performing teachers often runs into resistance from the teacher's unions. But
Stephenson, who runs a company which is heavily unionized, said it isn't
impossible.
"Those of us with large unionized work forces, you can still move the needle,"
he said.
The panel also advised on standardizing education standards and school data,
as well as pushing for new technology.
Nearly 100 chief executives are attending the annual WSJ CEO Council meeting
Monday and Tuesday in the nation's capital to discuss business and political
issues, and meet with top policymakers. Participants scheduled to attend include
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel; Health and Human Services Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius; and Council of Economic Adviser Chair Christina Romer.
-By Roger Cheng, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2153; roger.cheng@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
11-17-091528ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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