News

Dr. Cabrera Addresses School Readiness Leadership Forum

September 23rd, 2009

McLean, VA - On September 22, 2009, Fairfax Futures held its Third Annual School Readiness Leadership Forum. Business, government, military, and education leaders gathered to discuss the importance of investing in the education of young children to prepare for the future.   

Keynote speaker Dr. Derek Cabrera, President and Founder of ThinkWorks, described the growing importance of thinking skills in the 21st Century and offered a framework for teaching these skills.  He noted that in 1900, eight in ten jobs involved working with one's hands.  By 2000, eight in ten jobs involved working with ideas. As a result Dr. Cabrera believes, “In preparing children for the 21st century, the challenge for our education system is to strike a balance between what to know and how to know."   

Other speakers included:

Dr. Richard Moniuszko, Deputy Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools, who described a global competition for talent and the challenge of preparing today’s kindergartners for the jobs of the future.

Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA) and Jacqueline Jones, Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Early Learning, US Department of Education, both focused on the importance of early childhood education in the new Administration's plan to improve American education for all students.  

Congressman Bob Etheridge (D-NC), former state superintendent of schools in North Carolina, stated that no other issue is as important to the future of our nation and the economy as 21st Century Skills, in particular, a variety of thinking skills. 

General Hugh Shelton, 14th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that investing in early childhood programs is a matter of national security.  He noted that with such advanced technology, the military needs people who are independent thinkers that are capable of problem-solving and making informed decisions.

According to Dr. Cabrera, "This event emphasized the important and timely message that thinking skills can (and should) be taught at any age because the greatest return on investment occurs at the youngest ages.  An event like this is a step in the right direction because influential leaders from all facets of our society-military, education and business- realize the importance of thinking skills in preparing our youth for their individual success and the future success of our country.”

More information about this event can be found on the Fairfax Futures website.