2013 CGI America - Panelists remarks on Economic & Social Mobility
June 13, 2013
2013 CGI America – American Dream, American Realities: Achieving Economic and Social Mobility
Thought leaders came together today at the 2013 CGI America meeting in Chicago to discuss American Dream, American Realities: Achieving Economic and Social Mobility. Here are a few of the noted statements that continues to encourage our nation to build a strong educational foundation in order to thrive economically and socially in the United States.
President Clinton and Former Secretary of State of the United States, Hillary Clinton, began with opening remarks around the overall state of our country’s unemployment rate, the need for more rigorous education, and the encouragement of women in STEM.
Hillary Clinton: “Eliminating barriers to women’s participation in the global economy…women should be at the heart of the economic agenda. Women are the world’s most unused resources.”
The encouragement to have more women and girls purse opportunities in STEM is essential to the future success of our nation. Eva Longoria noted that only “1% of all stem fields are occupied by Latinas.”
While women and girls need to play an even bigger role in STEM, we need to lock in a successful future for ALL of our kids and our nation as a whole. Laysha Ward, President, Community Relations at Target Corporation said “we should be a performance based structure” who is “raising investment” which in turn “raises student achievement” in schools. Ward also stated that it’s hard to prioritize the things that are working in education when each school has different standards. She stated “we need to raise the bar with higher standards with common core.” The panelists strongly agreed and the audience applauded these statements.
Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder, President and CEO of Chobani, Inc. is a prime example of how a desire to be successful, an opportunity, and a strong will can all equal a successful individual in America. We can translate this into our educational needs. In order for our kids to have the next “cool” impressive entrepreneur story, Sara Martinez Tucker, CEO of NMSI, explained they need to first have a strong understanding of math and science.
Tucker stated three strong things we need to do now in order to give kids the rigorous coursework and great teachers they need and deserve:
1.“We have to stop tracking kids” – all kids no matter what their race, gender, or socioeconomic status, need access to a rigorous curriculum.
2.“Meet every kid where they are and where they need to be” – NMSI proves that every kid that has access to a rigorous curriculum can make a difference.
3.“Students are very vulnerable and perceptive. They know what is going on. Let’s remember that messaging matters to our kids because they are picking up on what we are saying.” It’s important to specifically get our teachers on track here since they are one of the most impactful sources for our students in the classroom.
Here at NMSI, we are excited that teachers from all over the nation are ready to make that investment for our kids this summer at NMSI’s Summer Institute teacher training events.
Panelists included:
Sara Martinez Tucker, CEO of NMSI
Eva Longoria, Founder, The Eva Longoria Foundation
Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder, President and CEO, Chobani, INC.
Laysha Ward, President, Community Relations, Target Corporation