Federal News in Brief

Harvard Survey Reveals Pessimism About K-12

By Michele Molnar — September 16, 2014 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A survey of nearly 2,000 Harvard Business School alumni reveals continued pessimism about the United States’ future economic competitiveness and the quality of its schools.

In a report released last week, the business school indicated that 47 percent of its alumni expect a deterioration in U.S. competitiveness over the next three years, and they saw little improvement in the K-12 education system, which contributes to the country’s competitive position as it prepares students who will enter the workforce.

The alumni said they saw only small signs of progress in the United States’ K-12 system—a modest level of improvement that puts education on par with the U.S. tax code, political system, and regulatory policy—in the respondents’ views of how much those areas have improved in the same period.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the September 17, 2014 edition of Education Week as Harvard Survey Reveals Pessimism About K-12

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Managing AI in Schools: Practical Strategies for Districts
How should districts govern AI in schools? Learn practical strategies for policies, safety, transparency, as well as responsible adoption.
Content provided by Lightspeed Systems
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Unlocking Success for Struggling Adolescent Readers
The Science of Reading transformed K-3 literacy. Now it's time to extend that focus to students in grades 6 through 12.
Content provided by STARI
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Federal Video Here’s What the Ed. Dept. Upheaval Will Mean for Schools
The Trump administration took significant steps this week toward eliminating the U.S. Department of Education.
1 min read
The U.S. Department of Education building is pictured in a double exposure on Oct. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Department of Education building is pictured in a double exposure on Oct. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Maansi Srivastava for Education Week
Federal What State Education Chiefs Think as Trump Moves Programs Out of the Ed. Dept.
The department's announcement this week represents a consequential structural change for states.
6 min read
The U.S. Department of Education building is seen behind the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial on Oct. 24, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Department of Education building is seen behind the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial on Oct. 24, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The department is shifting many of its functions to four other federal agencies as the Trump administration tries to downsize it. State education chiefs stand to be most directly affected.
Maansi Srivastava for Education Week
Federal See Where the Ed. Dept.'s Programs Will Move as the Trump Admin. Downsizes
Programs overseen by the Ed. Dept. will move to agencies including the Department of Labor.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order regarding education in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon watch.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order regarding education in the Oval Office of the White House on April 23, 2025, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon watch. The Trump administration on Tuesday announced that it's sending many of the Department of Education's K-12 and higher education programs to other federal agencies.
Alex Brandon/AP
Federal Most K-12 Programs Will Leave Education Department in Latest Downsizing
The Trump administration announced six agreements to transfer Ed. Dept. programs elsewhere.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is interviewed by Indiana’s Secretary of Education Katie Jenner during the 2025 Reagan Institute Summit on Education in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, 2025.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is interviewed by Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner during the 2025 Reagan Institute Summit on Education in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, 2025. The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday unveiled six agreements moving administration of many of its key functions to other federal agencies.
Leah Millis for Education Week