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THE SUNCOAST NEWS

Published: May 31, 2008

Anyone familiar with the turmoil that has roiled public education in this country knows of the complaints from employers that the product the nation's schools were producing, high school graduates, were ill-equipped to perform in the workplace. Some newly minted grads not only lacked the necessary reading and math skills needed to perform a job, they had problems with things like showing up for work on time and following orders. At the same time college and university administrators were complaining about the number of first-year students who were entering their ivy-covered halls in need of remedial instruction in basics such as reading, writing and math.

All this discontent led to efforts in many parts of the nation to improve public education through test like this state's much-maligned Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. It also spawned the federal No Child Left Behind Act, another target of much disdain from people within the public education sector. Other stabs at improving public education included raising the pay of teachers.

It is hard, however, to find many people who think any of this has accomplished much. Against this background, the Pasco County School District is going to the horse's mouth, so to speak, when it comes to producing graduates that are better job prospects. The district will put on what has been dubbed a Workforce Strategic Planning Town Hall Meeting this Monday at Sevens Springs Middle School. School Board Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey says she and other school leaders are "looking to industry leaders for the intellectual capital that is necessary to align district programs with the needs of the business community."

We just hope the educators and business people go into Monday's meeting with open minds.

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