The United States is not preparing its students for today's global world, Bill Brock, former U.S. senator and labor secretary, said Thursday.
"We've fallen from first in the world to 11th in terms of high school graduates in the work force," Mr. Brock said after speaking to McCallie School alumni during the school's annual alumni lunch. "We've fallen from first in the world to 21st in math and 25th in science. It's terrifying that other countries are doing a better job with their children than we are."
"We simply have to say, 'Enough,'" Mr. Brock said. "We are not going to put up with it. We've got to change. We've got to give our teachers more tools, more support, more freedom to teach. We have to quit micro-managing them; get out of the way and let them do what they are capable of doing."
WILLIAM "BILL" BROCK* Born in Chattanooga on Nov. 23, 1930* Graduated from McCallie in 1949* Received a bachelor of science degree from Washington and Lee University* Served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy from 1953 to 1956* In 1962, sought political office and became the first Republican to be elected from his congressional district in 42 years* In 1970, defeated Albert Gore Sr. for the U.S. Senate* In November 1976, lost his Senate seat to Democrat James Sasser* Was U.S. secretary of labor from 1985 to 1987* Formed the Brock Group to advise foreign and domestic companies on international trade policy in the 1980s* In 1990, he and his wife, Sandy, moved to Annapolis, Md.Source: The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
Mr. Brock, a Chattanooga native and 1949 McCallie graduate, met with a group of upper-school students Thursday morning, visited a history class and was the keynote speaker at the lunch, where he talked about how the world has changed with the Internet.
"I think what he said, that change is the only constant and we have to prepare ourselves to live in a very small world that is very interconnected, (is true)," McCallie Headmaster Kirk Walker said.
"Our students, businesses and all aspects of life in the United States must come to terms with the fact that we will need to learn to work with people from different cultures with very different perspectives, and that good things will come with that," Mr. Walker said.
Mr. Brock, who now lives in Maryland, said the system is broken when it comes to getting children ready for the real world, but nothing is being done about it.
"It's no good to sit around and whine like a hound dog sitting on a tack ... we have to get up and do something, and that would mean changing the system," he said.
He said some of the steps toward change should include "giving every child the best possible beginning that you can. Secondly, quit understating the child, make it a bit tougher, raise the bar, make sure that the classroom is not disruptive," Mr. Brock said.
"Lastly, if we really want to be competitive in the world, we've got to think about linking the Internet into the classroom so they have access to all the information of the world," he said. "Then you have a whole new system based on incentives and motivation, not holding them down."