Xactly, the leader in intelligent revenue solutions, joined national nonprofit organization Code.org and over 500 of the nation’s top industry, nonprofit, and education leaders to issue a letter calling on state governments and education leaders to “update the K-12 curriculum in each state, for every student in every school to have the opportunity to learn computer science.”
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The coalition behind this effort is unprecedented in U.S. education, uniting the leaders and founders of large tech companies such as Microsoft, Alphabet, or Amazon, together with CEOs of companies across sectors, such as Starbucks, American Express, Nike, Delta Airlines, AT&T, UPS, Walgreens, and Hasbro, as well as national education organizations such as Khan Academy and the American Federation of Teachers.
“At Xactly we believe in promoting the spirit of giving back to the communities where our employees and customers live, learn and work,” said Chris Cabrera, founder and CEO of Xactly. “Sending this message to government and education leaders will make a meaningful impact on the opportunity for students to have access to computer science curriculums. As the world continues to digitally transform, it’s important to make sure the next generation grows up with the skills they need to advance as well.”
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Over the last decade, all 50 states have taken action to expand access to computer science, including allowing computer science to count toward core graduation requirements, funding professional learning to train more teachers, and creating clear certification pathways for computer science teachers. The United States has 700,000 currently open computing jobs, but today, only 5% of high school students study computer science per year.
“Every industry is impacted by digital technology, yet not every student has the opportunity to learn how technology works,” said Code.org CEO Hadi Partovi. “Today, computer science should be a core subject, just like basic biology or algebra. The United States has seen tremendous momentum behind this idea, and today’s announcement makes it clear that the time for action is now. We must ensure that standards and the curricula used across the country prioritize computer science so that all students, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds, have the opportunity to participate in our digital economy.”