Along with being a father, guitarist, student of aikido, and dog-lover, Paul Tumarkin serves as the Communications Director for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education.
In June, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) hosted the first National Summit on 21st Century Skills in Washington, D.C. focused on the critical need to combine rigorous core subjects with skills such as critical thinking, communication, innovation and creativity. Over 350 policy-makers, education leaders and business professionals joined in the discussion. In addition, the Partnership held an online Cyber Summit that drew over 3,000 participants. Those events were not endings but beginnings.
Based on feedback received from the national, state and local participants, the Partnership put forth a set of guiding principles to clearly define and advance the teaching of 21st century skills and core content. The National Action Agenda on 21st Century Skills was launched on October 9, 2009. You can read the principles on the P21 website here. The effort was widely supported by over 230 organizations – including Dell, the National School Boards Association, Upper Arlington City (Ohio) School District, Community Unit School District #200 (Ill.), National Staff Development Council, Catalina Foothills (Ariz.) Unified School District #16, National Association of State Boards of Education, Norfolk (Va.) Public School District and many others.
Certainly, discussions continue, but the message is clear from all sectors of U.S. society: our education policies, practices and strategies need to change to effectively prepare our children for the world that awaits them.
According to Ken Kay, President of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, “The fact that so many schools, districts and state departments of education have signed demonstrates that the 21st century skills movement is gaining momentum in our communities and that we are closer to providing a world-class education for every child.”
So where will the movement go next? As we head to an eventual reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the 21st century skills movement will have a voice in the process. The Partnership will engage with the Obama administration and state and local leaders to ensure education policy is on the right track.
Still, a movement is only as good as its supporters – we need your voice! So, subscribe to blogs like this one or the P21 e-newsletter or Twitter. How about writing your own blog or--even better--a letter to the leaders in your state?
Whatever you do, be heard. Be a part of change.