There has been a fair amount of news coverage in recent weeks around something called Common Core, which are a set of state-created educational standards in English and mathematics.  These higher expectations provide a clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them.  In Colorado, the Common Core is integrated into our own Colorado Academic Standards, which are designed to be relevant to the real world, providing the skills required for college and careers, and taking into account the fact that today's students compete not only with their peers from this country, but from abroad as well.

To highlight this important work, we support our friends at the Colorado Competitive Council (C3), Colorado Succeeds and the Denver Metro Chamber on Future Forward Colorado, an effort to mobilize business leaders who support an improved education system and the sensible guidelines outlined in the Colorado Academic Standards.  If you are in agreement that high expectations, meaningful assessment tools to measure progress, and shared accountability among all stakeholders is required, please take the time to read the letter of support featured on the Web site and consider signing on.  Your voice and your engagement matter, and you will be in good company as more than 100 CEO's of Fortune 500 Companies, including the Business Roundtable and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have signed on to a similar letter at the national level.

Additionally, an employer toolkit is available for you to review, and to share with others you believe would be interested.  We often note that today's student is tomorrow's workforce.  Ensuring your future colleagues and employees are appropriately prepared for the assignment you will have for them is critical.

If you have questions about Future Forward Colorado, or the specifics included in the Colorado Academic Standards, do not hesitate to contact me through tamra@coloradoconcern.com.

Warmly, 

Tamra