State's students not ready for global marketplace, Gregoire says

OLYMPIA — Washington schools aren't preparing students adequately to compete in a tough global marketplace, and top-to-bottom overhaul is needed, Gov. Christine Gregoire said Monday.

Gregoire said the state needs to blow up the separate "silos" — the turf-conscious higher education, K-12 and pre-kindergarten establishments — and devise a well-oiled, well-financed, seamless system of cradle-to-the-grave learning.

The Legislature made some smart moves this session, including creation of a Cabinet-level Department of Early Learning and help for students who are struggling with the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, the governor said. But much more must be done, she said.

Gregoire made her sober comments at the post-session gathering of Washington Learns, her education-reform panel that is midway through an intensive two-year look at early learning, K-12 and public higher education.

Gregoire picked up on sharply critical comments from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates that the nation's public-school system is broken and isn't equipping students to compete in the new global economy.

"We don't believe our system is ready to meet the needs of that global marketplace, for our students to succeed," the governor said, adding, "We are literally going to have to reform education in Washington state if our children are going to compete in the global marketplace.

The state won't measure itself against other states but against the other industrialized nations, Gregoire said.

"We need to go toe to toe with the systems in Japan, Germany, Ireland and the top schools in India," she said.

The 13-member panel includes educators, lawmakers and private-sector members.

Gregoire said the new emphasis on early-childhood learning will pay big dividends as kids arrive in kindergarten ready to learn. The new wave of students will be less likely to drop out of school, get pregnant as unwed teens or burden society with social-service and prison costs, she said.

Washington may be the first state to figure out how to get all players working together, she said.

Final recommendations, including financing, are due in mid-November.