Posted by Brad SmithSenior Vice President and General Counsel
Earlier this week, I traveled to Olympia to testify before the Washington State legislature on the recommendations of the Higher Education Funding Task Force, which I had the privilege to chair. The task force recommendations provide a systematic roadmap for stabilizing the health of our higher education sector and paving the way for more Washington students to earn four-year degrees.
As I talked with lawmakers, I was struck by several observations.
First, some proposals floating around Olympia would result in even deeper cuts to higher education, making a bad problem even worse. Higher education has undergone severe budget cuts over the past couple of budgets, and that is ground we will need to make up if we expect our public colleges and universities to serve more Washington students going forward.
Posted by Fred HumphriesVice President, U.S. Government Affairs, Microsoft
During last week’s State of the Union address, President Obama stated, “In America, innovation doesn’t just change our lives; it’s how we make a living.”
The president’s words are a great reminder about the role technology plays in strengthening the American economy. The end of 2010 showed an increase in consumer confidence, consumer spending and an overall strong gross domestic product, yet Americans across the country still list the economy as their number one concern.
Posted by Andrew KoSenior Director, U.S. Partners in Learning, Microsoft
Since 2007, Microsoft’s Innovative Schools program has been connecting educators from around the world to share ideas and best practices for creating new learning models, and inspiring students to engage more deeply and direct their own education.
This year, we are excited that four schools in the United States have been selected to participate in the Innovative Schools program as Pathfinder schools. A Pathfinder school is a school that has a vision for or is in the early stages of implementing innovative programs.
The four new Pathfinder schools are:
This year, we're doing something a bit different at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
MLK Day – the only federal holiday designated by Congress as a national Day of Service – is a great opportunity to continue Dr. King’s legacy and give back to communities through volunteerism.