Submission + - Should Kids Who Don't Take a CS and AI Class Be Denied a HS Diploma?
theodp writes: Code.org, the tech-backed nonprofit behind the 2022 CEOs for CS PR campaign credited with arm-twisting the nation's Governors into signing a Compact to Expand K-12 CS Education for their states, will be "bringing together a powerful coalition of industry leaders, including visionaries like Satya Nadella, to champion computer science and AI education as essential to building the workforce of the future" as part of a new national campaign called Unlock8 that will launch in early May.
By joining the Unlock8 Coalition, a Code.org Advocacy Coalition Unlock8 pitch deck aimed at attracting Business, Education, and Nonprofit leaders explains, "your organization and executives can publicly align their names and influence with this transformative initiative, demonstrating a shared commitment to making computer science a high school graduation requirement in all 50 states." A mock-up of a planned May 4th New York Times print ad to kick off the campaign is signed by the likes of Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer, Reid Hoffman, Michael Dell, and Marc Benioff. It begins with a question and some big assertions drawn from a 2024 Univ. of Maryland study: "What if a single class could help close wage gaps, unlock $660 billion in economic potential every year for everyday Americans, and address the skills gap we currently face? This is possible, today — if we include computer science and AI as a core part of every student's education. Just one high school computer science class boosts wages 8% for all students, regardless of career path or whether they attend college."
Tech led and bankrolled coalitions to push CS education into K-12 classroom are nothing new — Microsoft and Google kicked off the Computing in the Core Advocacy Coalition in 2010 (later merged into Code.org) with the goal of graduating a 21st Century Workforce. The call to add now-critically-important-to-big-tech AI into the K-12 education mix — jump-started by President Trump's signing of the Advancing AI Education for American Youth executive order earlier this week — and the call to deny high school diplomas to kids who don't complete a CS course merely ups the ante.
By joining the Unlock8 Coalition, a Code.org Advocacy Coalition Unlock8 pitch deck aimed at attracting Business, Education, and Nonprofit leaders explains, "your organization and executives can publicly align their names and influence with this transformative initiative, demonstrating a shared commitment to making computer science a high school graduation requirement in all 50 states." A mock-up of a planned May 4th New York Times print ad to kick off the campaign is signed by the likes of Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer, Reid Hoffman, Michael Dell, and Marc Benioff. It begins with a question and some big assertions drawn from a 2024 Univ. of Maryland study: "What if a single class could help close wage gaps, unlock $660 billion in economic potential every year for everyday Americans, and address the skills gap we currently face? This is possible, today — if we include computer science and AI as a core part of every student's education. Just one high school computer science class boosts wages 8% for all students, regardless of career path or whether they attend college."
Tech led and bankrolled coalitions to push CS education into K-12 classroom are nothing new — Microsoft and Google kicked off the Computing in the Core Advocacy Coalition in 2010 (later merged into Code.org) with the goal of graduating a 21st Century Workforce. The call to add now-critically-important-to-big-tech AI into the K-12 education mix — jump-started by President Trump's signing of the Advancing AI Education for American Youth executive order earlier this week — and the call to deny high school diplomas to kids who don't complete a CS course merely ups the ante.
Should Kids Who Don't Take a CS and AI Class Be Denied a HS Diploma? More Login
Should Kids Who Don't Take a CS and AI Class Be Denied a HS Diploma?
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