they tend not to use high school transcripts or other measures of
school performance to make hiring decisions. Nor do they reward
young people who take harder courses or earn higher grades.
Companies with good jobs, career ladders, and fringe benefits
don't even like to hire young people. Instead, they let most 20-
somethings cycle through dead-end jobs, schooling, and periods of
unemployment before plucking the lucky ones from the pack.

Educators, meanwhile, often view business with more than a
little suspicion, distrust, and envy. They resent being blamed for
economic problems beyond their control. They have deep misgiv-
ings about allowing business values to permeate the schools. And
they question the motivation and commitment of corporate lead-
ers who chastise public schools on the one hand, while fighting
for tax breaks and private-school vouchers on the other.

The disconnect between educators and employers has con-
tributed to a severe motivation problem in schools. Students see
no connection between what they are learning--or how well they
learn it--and their future career goals. So they have little incen-
tive to work hard in school. "Across the country, whether sur-
rounded by suburban affluence or urban poverty, students'
commitment to school is at an all-time low," observes the psychol-
ogist Laurence Steinberg on the basis of surveys of more than
20,000 students. The majority of high school students describe
their education as "boring." Too many think it is important to
graduate but not to do well.

Meanwhile, parents worry that after 13 years of public school-
ing, and an often substantial investment in higher education, their
offspring will be unable to secure or keep a job. Parents know that
the economy is shifting but they are unsure what to do about it.

Today, the connection between work and learning is more
important than ever. The skills required for well-paid employment
are rising. Repetitive jobs on the assembly line are being replaced
with new jobs that require workers who can think mathematically,
read well, solve problems, and use computers. Such workers must

-2-