Making Education Everyone's Business: Three Studies of Successful Education Advocacy

Business leaders have long been engaged in all levels of education reform, but the economic crisis of the 1980s spurred a renewed sense of urgency and activity. Business leaders saw education as key to addressing many of the country's economic problems, including high unemployment, foreign competition, and declining productivity. As the economy recovered and the standards and accountability movement gained traction in the 1990s, business organizations refocused their efforts on strengthening their states' education standards as part of a broader effort to prepare students for jobs in technology and other expanding industries. Business leaders have a critical role in ensuring that the education systems enable young people to gain the skills, knowledge, and experiences they need to be successfully employed in the current and future economy. Their voices can be powerful tools to help shape policy, champion programs, and advocate for greater coordination and alignment between the K-12, higher education, and workforce systems. This paper profiles three business advocacy organizations that have recently supported successful education legislation, with the goal of surfacing lessons that are broadly applicable to other business advocacy organizations interested in pursuing education advocacy work on behalf of students' long-term economic success.