The connection between education and the economy was clearly drawn during the ElevatEd conference presented by the Holdsworth Center held on June 4 in Dallas, Texas. The conference included panel discussions from noted thought leaders, authors, superintendents, university presidents and deans, foundations and education organizations, Education Commissioner Mike Morath, and Richard Kaplan the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Policy efforts such as early education, recruitment and retention of quality teachers & principals, were some of the recommendations discussed for an educated workforce. Tom Luce, chairman of Texas 2036, posited that fourteen years of education will be the new standard. However, Luce argues, that Texas who once relied on importing its workforce must look to those already living in Texas to fill workforce need since migration is slowing down. “Every Texas family will get a pay cut unless we do better in education,” predicts Luce. Some issues with the current public education system according to panel members would include the wrong focus and lack of appreciation for our public school teachers. “Society is turning to schools to solve problems it didn’t create,” on top of cutting resources to schools said Dr. Robert Putnam, Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Dr. Richard Reeves, Senior Fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institute, affirmed Putnam’s remarks noting the education system is running harder and harder to just to stand still. Public education has done a miracle by not having larger education accountability gaps, said Reeves.
Luce stated that Texas may be able to address public education concerns if its citizens demand that action from their elected leaders. The Federal Reserve for Texas is optimistic, Kaplan explained, in that Texas has population and workforce growth. Many states would love to have a similar outlook. The question is what will we do with this opportunity. Kaplan concluded the most important investment Texas can make is in education.