Gov. Bob Wise Talks Academics, Not Athletics, from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London

July 17, 2012

Although their performance on international tests has improved marginally, American students still trail most of our international competitors, Alliance President Bob Wise says in this video.

The United States ranked seventeenth in reading, twenty-third in science, and thirty-first in math--hardly a medal-winning performance.

Raising the Bar on the Academic Pole Vault: Gov. Bob Wise's Second Olympic Report from London

July 24, 2012

Although the scores don't reflect it yet, the US academic team has been implementing rigorous training methods and adopting new policies in hopes of gaining higher achievement.

In this video from London, Alliance President Bob Wise talks about three of them: common core state standards; Race to the Top; and digital learning.

Reporting from London and Singapore, Bob and Bill Wise Examine Favorites for the Gold

July 30, 2012

Now that the opening ceremonies are over and the 2012 Summer Olympics are underway, Alliance President Bob Wise--and his colleague Bill Wise--examine the favorites to win the gold in their latest video.

Reporting from London and Singapore, respectively, Bob and Bill are not concerned with the favorites in track and field or swimming, they're focused on the top contenders for the gold in reading, mathematics, and science.

Using Improvements in Technique and Technology to Transform Athletics--And Education

August 1, 2012

With apologies to Michael J. Fox and Huey Lewis and the News, Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, goes back in time to 1948—the last time the Olympics were held in London—in his latest Olympic video report.

Gov. Wise travels back to 1948 London to examine what has changed about the Olympics—and education—in the last sixty-four years. The answer, as you might expect, is quite a lot. Unfortunately, although training and techniques for athletes has evolved and yielded better performance over time, the same can’t be said about the American education system.

Lessons the American Education System Could Learn from the Olympic Decathlon Competition

August 8, 2012

Today, the decathlon competition got underway at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, is our man on the scene covering the competition that tests athletes’ skills in ten different events: 100-meter, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-meter, 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1,500-meter.

In this report from London’s Olympic Stadium, Gov. Wise suggests that American students could take a lesson from decathletes and cross-train in competencies and skills. If more American students received an education that incorporated core content knowledge with problem solving, creative thinking, and self-reflection, the United States could once again have the “world’s greatest students” in addition to having the “world’s greatest athletes.”

Ensuring That Every Student Achieves a Gold Medal in Academic Performance

August 13, 2012

In his last Olympic video, filmed from London’s Heathrow Airport, Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, reflects on his time covering the 2012 Summer Olympics, but he also looks ahead to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, for which American athletes are already preparing. But how effectively is the United States preparing its students for the global competition awaiting them?

Gov. Wise discusses four challenges that must be met to ensure that American students can compete with their international peers. He argues that the next twenty-four months are a critical time for American students, teachers, and administrators to meet these challenges and ensure that every student achieves a gold medal in academic performance that means so much for America’s future.