Institute for a Competitive Workforce 2/20/13

Date and Time

Wednesday Feb 20, 2013
3:00 PM - 8:00 PM PST

3:00 - 5:40 PM - "Won't Back Down" movie
6:00 - 8:00 PM - Keynote & Panel

Location

Hotel Murano
1320 Broadway
Tacoma, WA 98402

1320 Broadway Tacoma WA 98402

Fees/Admission

Complimentary

Contact Information

Lynnette Buffington, 253.682.1726
Send Email

Description

Click here to register! You MUST register by 9:00 a.m. Friday, February 15.

The Institute for a Competitive Workforce, the education and workforce policy affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is embarking on the 'Breaking the Monopoly of Mediocrity' cross-country tour from October 2012 - March 2013. This tour will stop here in Tacoma on February 20th hosted by the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW) and the National Chamber Foundation (NCF) to gather education, government, and business leaders and address the current state of education reform and “what’s next” for Washington school districts.

The 'Breaking the Monopoly of Mediocrity' tour will include:

3:30 PM The Film: Won't Back Down

Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis play two determined mothers; one a teacher, who will stop at nothing to transform their children’s failing inner city school. Facing a powerful and entrenched bureaucracy, they risk everything to make a difference in the education and future of their children. This powerful story of parenthood, friendship and courage mirrors events that are making headlines daily.

5:30 PM Cocktails & Connections

6:00 PM Keynote & Panel Presentations

An interactive forum of local business leaders, educators, and community leaders facilitated by education reform policy experts and practitioners. Participants will have an opportunity to strategize with other leaders in the community on the best ways to implement change.

Keynote Speaker:
Cecilia Retelle
Institute for a Competitive Workforce

Panel Speakers:

Randy Dorn (confirmed)
State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Pat McCarthy (confirmed)
Pierce County Executive

Linda Nguyen (confirmed)
Chief Executive Officer, WorkForce Central

Eric Hahn (confirmed)
Vice-President of Organizational Development, General Plastics

Michelle Ledbetter (confirmed)
Director, Pierce County Skills Center

Jana Carlisle, Ed.D (confirmed)
Executive Director, Partnership for Learning

Why You Should Get Involved:

Too few students are completing their K-12 education
Thirty percent of U.S. students fail to graduate from high school in four years—and the dropout rate is nearly 50% for African-Americans and Hispanics.
Too few students are graduating with the skills they need
Up to half of those who do graduate lack the advanced literacy and math skills they need to succeed in postsecondary education and the workforce. A majority of U.S. 4th graders and 8th graders are not proficient in reading or math.
Education is critical to the future of the U.S. workforce
There are more than 3 million job openings that remain unfilled partially due to a “skills gap” between the workforce and business needs. Consequently, the business community must spend billions of dollars on remediation training for unqualified new hires.
Success on Main Street depends on success in the classroom
Business leaders—whether as individuals or operating through organizations such as local chambers of commerce, foundations, or public education funds—need to play a critical role in supporting effective school board governance and reforms that improve student achievement.