OBA is thrilled to report that Oregon was highlighted yesterday on the national stage at a White House Education Roundtable event with President Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, which focused on industry-led partnerships that are transforming the education system.
Nike was recognized for its Nike School Innovation Fund (NSIF) and its partnership with Governor Kitzhaber on the package of education reform bills that was recently passed by the Oregon Legislature. In particular, NSIF will provide funding and expertise as the state pulls together the Oregon Education Investment Board (OEIB), which was created by SB 909.
The OEIB will align Oregon’s system of governance into one board that will be responsible for the educational outcomes of all Oregon students – from early childhood, through K-12 and into post-secondary education and training.
At the Roundtable, the President and Secretary of Education drove home the point that states must take a leading role in driving education innovation and that businesses have an important role to play in this process.
OBA and its partners worked hard to make the education package a reality in the 2011 Session. It is rewarding to see Oregon’s achievements and the state’s successful partnership with Nike featured on a national stage with business leaders, the President, and the U.S. Secretary of Education.
Representing Nike at the event was Heidi O’Neill, a founding board member for the Nike School Innovation Fund and Julia Brim-Edwards, OBA’s Vice Chair.
Congratulations to Nike for this recognition!