February 2012
At Issue,
by Melanie
Willoughby, Senior
Vice President
Government Affairs
Preparing
Students for the
Modern Workplace
An excellent
educational system
is a critical part
of a strong business
climate and a
growing economy.
That’s why NJBIA
devotes a
significant amount
of its time
addressing education
issues at all
levels, K-12, higher
education and
workforce
development.
NJBIA’s involvement
in education issues
began in the 1990s
when member
companies were
complaining about
the lack of basic
business skills
among new workers.
The Association
assigned one of its
government affairs
professionals to
work on education
issues and formed a
committee of member
companies to
identify key
education issues
from a business
perspective.
Over the years,
NJBIA successfully
pushed for new laws
adding financial
literacy to K
through 12
curriculums,
implementing
public-school choice
and making it easier
to create charter
schools.
Furthermore, NJBIA’s
research affiliate,
NJPRO (the New
Jersey Policy
Research
Organization)
developed a small
business curriculum
to help school
children learn the
basics about
business plans,
budgeting, and
pricing goods and
services.
Today, reformers
throughout state
government are
trying to improve
the worst performing
schools by employing
practices that have
worked well in
business—
competition,
accountability and
reward.
Governor Chris
Christie has called
for tying teacher
tenure to objective
measures of
effectiveness, such
as their students’
academic improvement
during the school
year. Under the
current system, once
a teacher gets
tenure, it is
practically
permanent,
regardless of
student performance.
Similarly, Christie
has called for merit
pay for teachers,
creating a system
that rewards
teachers who can
demonstrate their
effectiveness in
student learning.
Christie is also
backing a pilot
program, Opportunity
Scholarship Act,
which would allow
students from poorly
performing public
schools to attend
non-public schools,
thereby providing a
measure of
competition.
Private-sector
businesses would
contribute to a
scholarship fund in
return for a tax
credit to pay for
the program.
NJBIA has been a
strong supporter of
these initiatives
and will continue to
work to see them
enacted.
But now more than
ever, it is
important that
students understand
how the lessons they
learn in the
classroom will help
them when they enter
the working world.
That’s why NJBIA
also partners with
Junior Achievement
to bring business
ideas directly to
the classroom.
Junior Achievement
was founded in 1919
to better prepare
students for the
working world.
Junior Achievement
volunteers go into
the classroom and
show children how
business operates
through one of the
two dozen classroom
programs the group
has developed.
Volunteers educate
children about their
jobs and then work
to instill basic
business concepts
like marketing a
product or service,
calculating the
operating costs of
doing business and
taking advantage of
economies of scale.
New Jersey Business Magazine Editorial & Advertising Staff:
Vincent Schweikert, Vice President & Publisher
973-882-5004. ext. 110
v.schweikert@njbmagazine.com
Anthony Birritteri, Editor-in-Chief
973-882-5004. ext. 104
a.birritteri@njbmagazine.com
George Saliba, Managing Editor
973-882-5004. ext. 106
g.saliba@njbmagazine.com
Lisa Fragati-Criscuolo, Advertising Manager
973-882-5004. ext. 108
l.criscuolo@njbmagazine.com
Gloria Owens, Account Executive
973-882-5004. ext. 109
g.owens@njbmagazine.com
Doug Prefach, Account Executive
973-882-5004. ext. 102
d.prefach@njbmagazine.com
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