Gov. Bob Wise Reports from the 2010 Winter Olympics

On Friday, February 12, the 2010 Winter Olympics commenced with the Opening Ceremony from BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As he did during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, issues regular reports on the winter games.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to Make Every Child a Gold Medal Winner  
March 1, 2010

During the 2010 Winter Olympics, the United States set a record for most total medals won by one nation at a Winter Games, breaking the record that Germany set in 2002. This year also marked the first Winter Olympics in 78 years in which the United States hauled in more medals than any other country.

But as Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, has pointed out during the 2010 Winter Olympics, American students have much more work to do to move to the top of the international education rankings.

In his final dispatch from Vancouver, Gov. Wise talks about some education reforms that could make every child--and the nation--a true gold medal winner.

To watch the video, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGVAWdH_hyo or click on the image to the right.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Competing Against Canada  
February 25, 2010

As two strong democracies with much in common, Canada and the United States share a continent, a language, and a lengthy border. Their histories and economies are intertwined. During the 2010 Winter Olympics, the U.S. hockey team defeated the vaunted Canadian hockey team in the preliminary rounds--now the two nations are poised to meet again in the gold medal game. But in terms of the overall medal count, American athletes have nearly doubled the medals won by their Canadian counterparts.

But once you get away from the snow and into the schools, suddenly the competition becomes reversed; Canada is the country loading up on medals. When it comes to international educational rankings, Canada finished 4th in reading performance for fifteen-year-olds, according to the most recent data; the United States was 15th. It was even worse in science and math where Canada finished 2nd and 5th, respectively, while the U.S. ranked 21st and 25th.

In his latest report from the 2010 Winter Olympics, Bob Wise observes, "We're going to give the Canadians a scrap for the gold in hockey. Now it's time to do the same for high schools."

To watch Gov. Wise's fourth report from the 2010 Winter Olympics, click on the image above or go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSxnaAVj5jc.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Poland Sets an Educational Example  
February 22, 2010

In his third report from the 2010 Winter Olympics, Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, proclaims from high atop Whistler Mountain that better educational outcomes mean a better economy.

He observes that Poland's students improved their reading scores on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) by 29 points from 2000 to 2006 and cites the country as an example of what can be achieved when combining public will, education reform, and resources.

Were American students to improve their PISA scores by 25 points over the next 20 years--less than what Poland achieved in six years—the United States would see an increase in its Gross Domestic Product of $40 trillion over the lifetime of a baby born this year.

To watch Gov. Wise’s third video from the Olympics, click on the image to the right or visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXInS3bOvdM.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Do Stephen Colbert and Public Education Have in Common?  
February 17, 2010

In his second report from the 2010 Winter Olympics, Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, observes that speed skaters and students have something in common—the need for public support.

Gov. Wise notes that the U.S. speed skating team has benefited from a sponsorship by late-night celebrity Stephen Colbert and adds that the nation needs the same public will to turn high school dropouts into high performers. He also talks about how the United States has fallen from the top of the international ranks in high school and college graduation rates.

To watch Gov. Wise’s second video from the Olympics, click on the image to the right or visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lePfndZxu7E.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gov. Bob Wise Reminds Viewers of the Other International Competition Currently Underway  
February 12, 2010

In his first video, Gov. Wise is standing in front of BC Place to discuss the other international competition that American students engage in every single day. He references the State of the Union address and reminds viewers that improvements in education lead to a better economy.

To watch Gov. Wise’s first video from the Olympics, click on the image to the right or visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWezKOPF1rc.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________