The Center for Education Innovationand Regional Economic Development

About the Center

The Center for Education Innovation and RegionalEconomc Development is a unique consultingand professional development enterprise thatis committeed to connecting education andemployment - two strands of a double helix thatare inextricably linked and together provide thefoundation for our region’s economic growth andquality of life.The Center is an af

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liate of CooperativeEducational Service Agency #1, a nonpro

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torganization serving K-12 education providers inSoutheastern Wisconsin. The CESA #1 Boardof Control established the Center in 2006 andcharged it with engaging K-12 education as a keypartner in the talent development system of theregion.

Call to Action

Our quality of life is dependent upon the economicvitality of our region, our state, and our nation.Often overlooked in the attainment of thateconomic vitality is the key contributing role of K-12 education. There is an urgency to anticipate21st century needs for today’s students and tobuild their capacity to prosper in a competitiveglobal economy. Our approach cannot bebusiness-as-usual, nor can it be at the traditionalglacial pace of K-12 change. The progress wemake in the next decade will determine our opportunities for economic growth and quality of life for generations to come.Over the years, the economic landscapeof Southeastern Wisconsin has changeddramatically. In the past, manufacturing jobscould be

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lled by low-skilled workers who earnedwages that were relatively high and allowed themto support their families. At that time, learning thatemphasized rote memorization and getting theright answer was adequate for those who grewup to work in this system of mass production of standardized products.

“The impact of technology and globalization onour community is growing. In our schools today we are preparingthe workforce of tomorrow, linkingour community tothe future and theworld economy.Educational servicesmust be of thehighest quality.The Center is at the heart of thisactivity, helpingschools and districtsto identify gaps inteaching practicesand rethinkingcurriculum tomatch emergingstandards.” ~ David J. Ward,Ph.D.,President, NorthStar Economics, Inc.

Today, due to advanced technology, increased productivity and anabundant global supply of unskilled labor, few of those types of jobsstill exist in the United States. Manufacturing, which remains theleading industry in Southeastern Wisconsin, increasingly uses complextechnology to produce highly customized products.In addition, the Milwaukee 7, a $12 million,

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ve-year regional economicdevelopment initiative, has identi

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nancial services, businessmanagement, information technology and health care as other leading export driver industries. Water technology and green-relatedindustries have recently emerged as potential regional economicassets. Developing a highly skilled workforce that will enable theseindustries to remain competitive in a global economy will requirenothing short of a transformation of the public education system.

We know the challenges.

Accelerated changeGlobalizationAdvanced technologyNew economic modelsA degree of chaos

We’re committed to the solutions.

Transforming educationManaging change in an increasingly complex worldMaintaining our leadership in the global economyDeveloping a highly skilled workforce

“If you solve the education problem, you don’t have todo anything else. If you don’t solve it, nothing else isgoing to matter.”