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good morning everyone it's such an honor
to have you all here in West Virginia
and i'm surely am glad that my friend Lloyd Jackson invited me to say a few
words today
Lloyd Jackson is brilliant
he's made unbelievable contributions to our
public life and to our private life.
West Virginia's had a long history with the national assessment of education
progress
and the southern education board. Dating all the way back to the mid nineteen
eighties, which isn't really that far back.
This is something however that we should be very proud of.
Back then we could not have imagined classrooms connected by the internet and
all the possibilities that brings.
Like kids in Charleston linking up
with nasa astronauts, which i've seen take place.
Things have changed this group
since it first began and education
is going to have to change too.
We have to prepare our students
for the jobs of today and the jobs of tomorrow and I get so sick of hearing
that sentence and knowing that not enough is being done about it except for perhaps
what you're doing.
But that is absolutely an imperative.
We have to be innovative, we have to be forward-thinking and open to technology
and we have to make sure education aligns with the needs
of the job market now and in the future.
We have made extraordinary progress on this but we have work to do
and we have got to get the education policy right.
It's absolutely crucial to join forces with education, business, and labor
leaders
for the most fundamental end goal
which is to see our students
grow throughout their academic careers
and enter the workforce strong and ready.
You know that and you know that real progress in education demands seamless
collaboration
easy to say
hard to get.
West Virginia works hard to develop partnerships and bring together all
levels of education
from pre-k through
college
to create a culture
of lifelong learning
you hold the key
to aligning worker's skills
with an evolving market place.
And I strongly believe that West Virginia's economic success is directly
linked to the strengths and to the innovation of our education system.
Now if we can get the kids to believe that,
that would surely help the teachers and a lot of other folks.
In April, I held a roundtable discussion with community and technical colleges,
vocational education, business and labor representatives on this very issue.
And it's likely some of you are here today, so hi.
I wanted to have that dialogue because I know
from talking with businesses across our state
that they have jobs that they want filled by West Virginians but cannot get
them filled by west virginians
and there is an opportunity for West Virginians to make that happen.
NAEP and this meeting represent another step
in that direction. We have
to take the next leap
in education policy embracing technology and preparing for the jobs of tomorrow.
It starts with nurturing a love of learning
during crucial early years.
Just as parents and teachers do.
That means that parents have to read to kids.
Parents have a huge role in this.
A lot of parents
in states take that seriously a lot of parents don't take that seriously, the
kid pays the price or wins the prize, either way.
It continues with access, technology and financial aid.
So our students can pursue their dreams
and it continues with ongoing support and smart planning
to make sure they have everything they need to succeed today
and for years to come.
Thank you for being here today. Thank you again Lloyd Jackson.
And for keeping the future of West Virginia students in mind.