Avron Fogelman’s proposal to lower education standards for Memphis City School students was understandably greeted with overwhelming contempt by those who do not want state education officials move away from rigorous education standards.

His proposition will not likely see the light of day when the State Board of Education meets, but the controversy raises an important question that should be foremost in the mind of every business leader in our region: If employers cannot fill available jobs with qualified and educated workers, shouldn’t business leaders themselves make a sustained commitment to raising standards and achievement in our public schools? The answer, as demonstrated by the reaction to Mr. Fogelman’s proposal, should be a resounding yes.

Fortunately, a national model for such progressive public-private cooperation already exists. In 1996, a bipartisan group of Governors and CEOs established Achieve, Inc., an independent, non-profit organization that helps states raise academic standards and hold school systems accountable for achievement, through rigorous testing. Funded by private corporations and foundations, the organization is an important source of analysis and advice for education policy makers at the state level.

With the commitment of civic minded business leaders, a local version of this organization should be formed to explore solutions to the problems that our school system and parents have wrestled with for decades. The coalition of business and political leaders who lobbied so aggressively and successfully for the public financing of a new basketball arena should reunite under the banner of student achievement and launch the group.

Once established, the organization should enlist business owners, both large and small in this new effort. Among the questions that the group would seek to answer are the following: How can we challenge students – who face a myriad of problems, including poverty, high crime and a lack of resources – to excel in core academic subjects? How do we improve curricula and teacher training to ensure that every student is getting a world class education? Are schools giving students the life skills they need by integrating employer needs into curricula? How will our school system respond to changes in federal law requiring an increased emphasis on accountability and achievement?

The need to begin such an effort is all the more urgent in light of the fact that Congress will soon pass sweeping reforms to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the primary source of federal assistance for urban school systems. The new law will require states to hasten their reform efforts and test students more regularly. As a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, I have advocated that with an increased emphasis on testing come additional resources for school systems, like Memphis, which lack the fundamental tools that are available to other more affluent school systems. But, accountability and standards should not be sacrificed at the alter of funding. In addition, the $1.2 billion debt currently faced by Shelby County government means that county schools could face the same shortage of resources which has long plagued the city school system. Business leaders will certainly be called upon to weigh in with solutions to this looming fiscal crisis.

The mid-south region has emerged as a preeminent center for global commerce and our future ability to attract and retain businesses and high wage jobs is directly linked to how well we educate our future workforce. Yet, students living in countries that set clear and challenging expectations routinely outperform their American counterparts. We cannot expect that our nation will continue to compete and win in the global market place if we send the message to students that they will not be expected to achieve.

I believe that all students are capable of meeting the highest standards, but reaching this goal requires that every stakeholder in our community support their efforts.