George H. Jacobson

In the following viewpoint, George H. Jacobson presents a bleak picture of American education, with U.S. students lagging far behind those of other industrialized countries. Jacobson argues that such decline does not bode well for the future information- age workforce, which will require more skills than the current educational system provides. Underachievement, Jacobson maintains, means a weakened America domestically and globally. To improve education, Jacobson proposes high but reasonable standards of educational performance and testing. He also supports voucher programs—enabling parents to choose among public and private schools—to reform education. Jacobson believes these strategies will improve learning and help meet the demands of business in the future. Jacobson is an associate professor of information systems at California State University in Los Angeles.

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