Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor at the Stanford University School of Education, is still executive director of that commission, which was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and Carnegie Corp., both in New York. Since that report, the commission has worked with more than a dozen states and school districts to implement many of its proposals, including those that call for developing professional standards for teachers, improving teacher training, and rewarding teachers who are especially skilled. Schools can learn a great deal from corporations, which have become ever more efficient, customer-focused, and willing to invest in key people, Hammond told Business Week Online Associate Editor Amey Stone. She also had many practical ideas for how companies can participate in education reform.
Business can make several contributions, both on a practical level and on a policy level.
Business can play a key role in supporting the kinds of reforms and innovations that make a difference in schools. Let's talk first about the practical level. Schools often have inadequate funds for some of the things that matter the most for creating an environment that fosters high-quality teaching, which is what matters for kids. For example, schools have a very hard time supporting ongoing training for teachers. It is often the first thing cut from budgets.