Microsoft-Backed Think Tank: K-12 CS Education Cure For Sagging US Productivity

theodp writes: On May 6, notes think tank Brookings, the Department of Labor released labor productivity data showing that output per worker fell by 1.9 percent during the first quarter of 2015. But fear not — the Metropolitan Policy Program of [Microsoft-backed] Brookings says K-12 computer science education is the cure for what ails U.S. productivity: "So how can the United States reverse this trend? First, states, metropolitan areas, and school districts must recognize that basic digital literacy is no longer sufficient preparation for the 21st century workforce. Familiarity with higher-level skills such as coding will be critical as the role of technology continues to grow. The 60-plus school districts that have partnered with [Microsoft-backed] Code.org have already begun to move in this direction. By introducing students to computer science fundamentals early on, Code.org and its partner districts will help get more people on pathways to well-paying jobs in computer programming and other fields." Creating a national K-12 CS and tech immigration crisis was proposed as Microsoft introduced its 'two-pronged' National Talent Strategy to increase K-12 CS education and the number of H-1B visas at a Brookings event in 2012. While creating a K-12 CS crisis fell to Code.org, fanning the flames of a tech immigration crisis is the purvey of [Microsoft exec-backed] FWD.us, the PAC formed by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, which recently sent an email blast warning U.S. citizens they're in 'A Gigantic Global Talent War', adding that China and India citizens are "just laughing [at the US], saying it's so easy to pick from you guys... we just take all the talent."

Comments

Re:Why limit to just CS education?

[eclectro]

There are very few ways a country can actually invest in its economy in the long term.

You mean besides dealing with the grotesque wage inequality that we have now?

People always thought that deflation (worse than inflation) would happen when a large quantity of out of work people would be unable to buy things, leading to a collapse in prices. But it can also happen through wage stagnation where people are working, but because their wage and buying power do not increase, they simply do not have the means to be consumers and grow the economy. So you end up with the same surplus of goods and services that people are unable to buy, leading to deflationary price collapses. People also put off marriage when they are poor, and there are less consuming families also. Think of an economic drought, just like California has a water drought.