"Montana Businesses Depend On Strong Education Foundation" by Secretary of State Linda McCulloch

When I was younger, summer meant one thing: It was time to get a job. When school was out, kids raced to the favored local businesses to fill out applications for just about any position. Back then, quick feet kept you ahead of the pack. Today, the business standard is a strong education.

Earlier this week, I urged United States Education Secretary Arne Duncan to seek input from the business community when discussing education reforms that will affect Montana. Secretary Duncan and Secretary Shaun Donovan of the U.S. Department of Housing and Development arrived in Billings on Wednesday to consider education and housing issues in rural America.

Montana businesses depend on a well-educated and well-trained workforce that is prepared to face the challenges of our changing economy. In a letter to Secretary Duncan, I asked that he keep some of the goals outlined in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), including high standards for math and reading, focusing on groups of minority children and children with various learning disabilities, and providing help for schools that are not doing well. I also requested an end to the one-size-fits-all method that erodes local control and has been counterproductive to the education system.

Montana’s economy requires people who can learn and work in different businesses and environments and who can create their own companies and jobs. Educational excellence is the foundation to a strong economy and Montana businesses rely on this foundation for success.

Too often in the past, national guidelines have been written solely in Washington, DC, without input from the state and local communities tasked with implementing the policies. Not only it is up to the presidential cabinet to seek input from our community, it is up to Montanans to reach out to these national leaders.

An active voice brings an issue to life, and Montanans cannot afford to be passive when it comes to securing a bright future for our children, our local businesses, and our state.

Secretary of State Linda McCulloch’s letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is available online under “Special News Features” at: http://www.sos.mt.gov/news/