Challenge: Educational Excellence

October 30, 2007 12:58 am

— In today’s business environment, technological advances and the emergence of a truly global community brings together opportunities and challenges that are difficult to imagine.
Consequently, our public schools must accept the challenge to prepare all students equally for the changes of the 21st century and the Meridian business community has assumed its responsibility to improve public education. We recognize that if Meridian is to maintain its reputation as one of America’s finest cities and if our region is to continue to be one of innovative entrepreneurship and prosperity, we must fortify our educational system.
Our children’s education is the top public policy issue in the Meridian Public Schools and Lauderdale County Schools where the Community Education Support Foundation Inc., will be engaged in helping improving the the quality of education through our core initiatives and by leveraging resources. We set out initially to improve student achievement by moving the target of the K-12 education system to measuring progress over time. The foundation advocating systemic changes within the educational system is necessary to improve performance and to monitor and assess progress. Policymakers now agree on the need for high standards of academic achievement for all students, meaningful assessment tools to measure progress in meeting those standards and accountability for results measure progress in meeting those standards and accountability for results applicable to all students, teachers and schools. However, we have yet to see promising gains in student achievement. And that is where the Community Education Foundation, Inc. is focusing its considerable resources.
As the primary advocate for education excellence in, we speak “as the voice of business to improve education for our children,” is the future workforce of our region. We can only fulfill that goal through effective public awareness and support.
Please allow yourself a few minutes to become acquainted with the Community Education Support Foundation, Inc. organization that is truly devoted to improving the situation for the children in our local public schools. Through our programs you will learn more about our organization, who we are, what we strive for, and also how your support will directly assist us in achieving our top educational objectives.

John Simmons is president of Community Education Support Foundation Inc. of Meridian.