THE EDUCATION PATH TO PROSPERITY WITHIN THE DECADE

It's no secret that the United States has slid into educational mediocrity when compared to international peers. That development threatens Americans' ability to adapt in an evolving economy, be productive and content at work, put down deep roots in their communities, and help their nation continue to lead on the world stage. That decline has especially harsh consequences for the Midwest, which has seen industrial instability, slow population growth, and striking inequality of opportunity in rural and urban areas. This report uses Wisconsin as a model, proposing new education reforms for Great Lakes and Great Plains states. These reforms rely on states' unique midwestern characteristics to generate opportunity, prosperity, and purpose. Now that the previous bipartisan education consensus has frayed, it is important to propose new, bold ideas to supplement successful school choice and accountability reforms. I propose eight ideas, coupled into four categories. We should transform the classroom by bringing back phonics-based reading instruction, getting high-quality teachers into the profession, and helping these teachers mentor the next generation of educators. We should grow urban and rural choice by funding district and choice students equally and making better investments in high-speed rural internet. We should modernize school bureaucracy by using a Yelp-like school enrollment system to empower parents to seek out quality and moving school board elections to the general Election Day to boost participation. We should promote working-class college by encouraging 'Guided Pathway' reforms at technical colleges, creating more flexible technical college programs and funding mechanisms, and allowing 529-style accounts to cover apprenticeship expenses, not just college costs. These ideas reach all American children, not only middle-class students aiming for a four-year degree. To complete a comeback, Wisconsin and states like it must invest in their future blue-collar workforce. By making sure that all families have access to high-quality schools, states can generate broad abundance in all sectors--tech and trades, finance and farms.
Ask Wisconsin business owners in any industry what their biggest challenge is, and you will get similar responses: Workers. We cannot find enough good workers. We need more young people [...]