Yesterday I was watching Fareed Zakaria, my usual Sunday morning coffee watching. One of the topics of discussion was the recent PISA results in which the United States fell 11 points in math and stayed stagnant in reading and science. In fact, the United States falls below the average on math scores.

The results are upsetting for a number of reasons. Mainly, it is an objective measure of how little we value education in the United States.

Now, I am never one to place all my eggs in one basket when it comes to assessments like this. But, I do think they are worth noting. More importantly, I think these results should lead to some serious soul searching and even an opportunity for reflection in the name of continuous improvement.

What are other countries doing that we are not doing and why is the answer to this question important given rising globalization? How are we preparing our students to meet the demands of the careers that await them after graduation and will they be able to adequately compete with their peers across the world for the jobs of tomorrow?