PBLN Education Policy Statement

The following policy statement reflects the position of PBLN. This position was developed by the PBLN Education  Group and adopted by the PBLN Board of Directors. We encourage individual business leaders to “opt-in” by signing on to our policy statements, which PBLN may use publicly to advance awareness of our position. If you would like to opt-in and sign on to any or all of these three policy statements, you may do so by emailing PBLN Director of Operations Aaron Chalek at aaron@pbln.org.

Values Statement
There is nothing more important for securing our future than the education of our children. The achievement gap along racial and economic lines in the United States is a reflection of grave social injustice and must be addressed as a top educational priority. The risk of education in the United States falling behind the educational standards of other leading nations presents both a moral and strategic imperative. We believe that the business community has an important role to play in addressing complex social sector issues like education; and we are committed to empowering innovative thinkers and education entrepreneurs to create new possibilities for children. It is in this spirit that PBLN supports passage of education reforms that bring access to innovation and excellence for all students from cradle to college. At the same time we view these innovations in education as essential contributions to the invention of a sustainable, competitive economy defined by shared and lasting opportunity and prosperity.

 

Policy Statement

1. We support all public schools, including charter schools
2. We support policies that seek to ensure that all public schools, including charter schools, reach out to and include in innovative programs the various populations of students that have historically been under-represented in such programs
3. We support bringing innovative models to the children and teachers most in need of our attention because of the challenges facing the most underperforming schools
4. We support the development of innovative models within local school districts, whether they are put together by teachers, by local district administrators, by the state or by a combination of all of these valued members of the education community
5. Specifically, we support the package of K-12 education innovations and reforms filed by Governor Deval Patrick in Massachusetts, captured in the two pieces of legislation entitled, An Act Establishing Readiness Schools and An Act Relative to Charter Schools
6. We urge policy makers and business leaders to support additional innovation ideas including extended learning time for children at all levels and a comprehensive effort on excellence in education from cradle to college.

Member Spotlight

Diane Hessan, President & CEO - Communispace
According to Advertising Age Communispace is one of the fastest growing marketing and technology companies in the country, with a Blue Chip client list that would make a Madison Avenue giant jealous. A pioneer in creating online communities to help marketers deeply engage customers, Diane helped found Communispace in 1999 and hasn't looked back.