Story & photo by Michelle Hirsch
Utilizing a forum organized
annually by the Chandler
Chamber of Commerce,
the presidents of all three Arizona
universities got a chance to
involve their public-school and
community college counterparts
in a collaborative effort to make
it easier for K-12 students to
succeed in their educational and
career goals.
The initiative was part of
the chamber’s 2014 Education
Forum, hosted by Chamber
President/CEO Terri Kimble
and attended by a who’s-who of
the state’s educators, along with
nearly 100 chamber members and
others.
Headlining the program
were ASU President Dr. Michael
Crow; NAU President Dr. Rita
Cheng; UofA President Dr. Ann
Weaver Hart; and Maricopa
Community Colleges Chancellor
Dr. Rufus Glasper.
The panelists used the
Education Forum breakfast
session to answer questions from
the audience, which also included
school board members and school
superintendents.
Chandler Vice Mayor Rick
Heumann, a longtime supporter
of education and founder of the
Chandler Education Coalition,
shared introductory comments
describing ways the city is
fostering collaborations between
established and emerging
companies and educational
institutions.
Heumann founded the
coalition in 2011 and continues
to chair the group, which
brings together school districts,
nonprofits and the business
community to explore educational
issues and opportunities to
benefit students.
All the panelists agreed
there is a need for students to
earn their high school diploma
and complete some level of postsecondary
training to be prepared
for 80 percent of the jobs that can
pay a living wage.
The community college
district’s Glasper noted that
career and technical education
can be defined in many ways, and
that community colleges award
tens of thousands of degrees and
certificates in a wide variety of
industries and occupations.
Most audience members
and the panelists agreed that
Arizona has an opportunity to
lead innovation and collaboration
between higher education and
K-12 education, but isn’t there
yet.
Hart, of UofA, emphasized
that if Arizona becomes so
comfortable with its traditions
and the way things have been
done in the past, the state won’t
be prepared to solve problems of
the future.
Cheng, just a few weeks
on the job at NAU, said she
was attracted to accept the
job from out of state due the ability
of Arizona to innovate within the
education system. She highlighted the
need for partnerships between K-12
and community colleges to explore
innovation and align needs of the
future.
Glasper suggested that innovation
cannot be addressed with traditional
thinking, and a critical window of
time is available to break down some
existing methods and collaborate
within all levels of the education
system.
In responding to how students
can prepare for the needs of the future
when what the future holds is not
known, panelists agreed that students
must be provided with a solid general
education foundation and given the
critical-thinking and problem-solving
skills to produce master learners
capable of adapting to new challenges.
Glasper added that the Arizona
College and Career Ready Standards
is about giving students a solid and
consistent general education along
with the ability to think critically and
creatively.
The education leaders highlighted
ways their institutions are partnering
with elementary and high schools,
fostering projects and involving
thousands of people, but more needs to
be done.
“Building a stronger foundation
by bringing in the colleges and
universities, focusing on birth to five
years right through to post-secondary
education and training, working
with school districts, gives Chandler
a well-rounded program to attract
and support
