During a terrific summer filled with conversations with family and friends -- and attending education conferences around the country -- I discovered that all talks involving education are united around one common objective: empowering students with skills to compete in today's fast-paced and dynamic business environment.

During June, July, and August, I heard the same question asked in many different ways: How do we expect our students to compete in today's global economy when we are teaching them as if they're living in yesterday's business world? Today's jobs require tomorrow's skills. Ask any business leader and he/she will tell you -- for a student to succeed in today's marketplace, he/she needs to have highly developed critical thinking skills. It's not enough to memorize facts to do well on a test, obtain a college degree, and expect that to guarantee a career-entry ticket. To secure a good job, students must be able to think creatively, communicate well, and know how to collaborate.

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