March 5, 2007

HOUSTON, Texas – The Greater Houston Partnership has adopted a resolution in support of the Governor’s Business Council’s “Excellence in the Classroom” recommendations to improve public education by bolstering teacher effectiveness.

“The public school system in Texas has made significant progress in improving results and accountability in the past ten years,” said Lori Vetters, chair, Education and Workforce Advisory Committee, Greater Houston Partnership. “But more must be done to provide this state with the caliber of educated workforce necessary to remain economically competitive. This proposal’s aim to bolster teacher effectiveness in the classroom is a solid step in the right direction.”

The Partnership’s resolution notes that increasingly more quality jobs require a quality education, noting that 65% of new jobs in the U.S. require some college or equivalent skills and only one in five jobs are available for unskilled workers.

“We are proud to have the support of the Greater Houston Partnership, whose members clearly understand the importance of creating a Texas education system that is globally competitive,” said Charles McMahen, chairman of Texans for Excellence in the Classroom.

The Excellence in the Classroom report and the Greater Houston Partnership resolution are available at www.excellenceintheclassroom.com.

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The Greater Houston Partnership is the primary advocate of the Houston-area business community and is dedicated to building regional economic prosperity. It represents 10 counties: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto and Waller. With more than 2,000 member organizations, the Partnership represents approximately one fourth of the region’s workforce. Visit the Greater Houston Partnership on the World Wide Web at http://www.houston.org/