Education:
Open Economy Makeover
A 2007 Ten-Year Forecast Research Perspective
Ever since the Nation at Risk report in 1983 warned America about the perils of a failing public education system, most debates about the future of public education have focused on structural fixes to a 20th-century institution. Issues of funding, class size, standards, testing, and school have shaped conversations at the state and national levels. At best, these discussions have led to incremental changes. Now, however, the open economy, with its flexible network structures, self-organizing groups, and cooperative practices, may offer solutions that fundamentally transform public education into a 21st-century institution, staking out alternative ways to manage resources and create value.