Top Business Leaders, 27 Governors, Urge Congress to Boost Computer Science Education

The Washington Post (04/26/16) Emma Brown 

Dozens of top U.S. business leaders and a bipartisan coalition of 27 governors are urging Congress to help address a shortage of technologically literate students by providing computer science education in all K-12 schools. They warn a policy of non-action could lead to the loss of the U.S.'s competitive advantage, noting in an open letter to lawmakers that "what is increasingly a basic skill is only available to the lucky few, leaving most students behind, particularly students of color and girls." Federal funding committed to enhancing computer science courses in K-12 schools is virtually nonexistent, despite the fact an estimated 500,000 vacant U.S. jobs require some degree of computer science background. Proponents say federal funding is essential in guaranteeing all students have access to computer science courses, and business leaders say this will give students an edge in almost any occupation by cultivating critical thinking. A movement to treat computer science as a core subject in K-12 education is gaining momentum. Code.org CEO Hadi Partovi says the broad spectrum of industries represented in Tuesday's letter reflects the interest all business sectors have in ensuring children are learning software creation, and not only utilization. "At this point, there's not a single industry or a single state you can look at where the field and the market isn't being changed by technology," Partovi says.

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Informatique ISSAE Cnam Liban