Reading ‘How to fix our schools: A manifesto by Joel Klein, Michelle Rhee and other education leaders’ this morning I felt that the authorities at some of the largest school districts are still missing the 100 pound gorilla lingering in this reform process – its not the teachers alone that is causing the school systems to lag behind. Coming from private sector and having led companies and having worked with Fortune 500 CEOs, it is true that measuring teachers’ performance effectively is essential and something should have started a long time back and needs to continue. On top of improving and measuring performance, there must be new curriculum. While strengthening the medium – i.e.teachers, lets not forget the tools, right curriculum that allows teachers to have clear direction and strong foundation to base on.

Peter Drucker often said it is important to do the right thing before doing things right. While authorities are scrambling for band-aid approach to do things right, lets not forget the importance to think thoroughly and do the right thing to start with.

As a part of solution, as I often write on this topic, fundamentally curriculum needs to change. Developing economies like India and China produces 60% of graduates with engineering and medical degrees while the United States has the graduating percent of only 6 percent for the same disciplines.

We need to drastically add science, innovation, business and entrepreneurship related curriculum starting at the middle school. Innovation shouldn’t be limited at the lab rooms of colleges and universities. I agree with the Manifesto that getting ready for the 21st century requires reform – lets truly believe in the need for reform and make changes with curriculum at the fundamental level and conceptually bring about changes that will allow the United States to once again take the lead in pre-college level education

( ‘How to fix our schools: A manifesto by Joel Klein, Michelle Rhee and other education leaders’ written by – Joel Klein, chancellor, New York City Department of Education; Michelle Rhee, chancellor, District of Columbia Public Schools; Peter C. Gorman, superintendent, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (N.C.); Ron Huberman, chief executive, Chicago Public Schools; Carol R. Johnson, superintendent, Boston Public Schools; Andrés A. Alonso, chief executive, Baltimore City Public Schools; Tom Boasberg, superintendent, Denver Public Schools; Arlene C. Ackerman, superintendent of schools, the School District of Philadelphia; William R. Hite Jr., superintendent, Prince George’s County Public Schools; Jean-Claude Brizard, superintendent of schools, Rochester City School District (N.Y.); José M. Torres, superintendent, Illinois School District U-46; J. Wm. Covington, superintendent, Kansas City, Missouri School District; Terry B. Grier, superintendent of schools, Houston Independent School District; Paul Vallas, superintendent, New Orleans Recovery School District; Eugene White, superintendent, Indianapolis Public Schools; LaVonne Sheffield, superintendent of Rockford Public Schools (Illinois)

Tags: Baltimore City Public Schools; Tom Boasberg, Boston Public Schools; Andrés A. Alonso, chancellor, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (N.C.); Ron Huberman, Chicago Public Schools; Carol R. Johnson, chief executive, Denver Public Schools; Arlene C. Ackerman, District of Columbia Public Schools; Peter C. Gorman, Houston Independent School District; Paul Vallas, Illinois School District U-46; J. Wm. Covington, Indianapolis Public Schools; LaVonne Sheffield, Joel Klein, Kansas City, Missouri School District; Terry B. Grier, New Orleans Recovery School District; Eugene White, New York City Department of Education; Michelle Rhee, Prince George's County Public Schools; Jean-Claude Brizard, Rochester City School District (N.Y.); José M. Torres, superintendent, superintendent of Rockford Public Schools (Illinois), superintendent of schools, the School District of Philadelphia; William R. Hite Jr.