Everyone
from the pundits to the pollsters to the president-elect is talking
about "infrastructure" these days. Infrastructure projects seem to be
widely accepted as a way to stimulate the economy, generate jobs, and
help us pull ourselves out of this economic pit.
By infrastructure, folks generally mean brick and mortar projects
such as bridges, roads, schools, and communication networks. But what
about our intellectual infrastructure? What about reinvesting in the
development of young people for particular careers that serve a
national interest?
Take education, for instance. Building top-quality schools certainly is
an important step on the road to providing all children with an
excellent education. More essential than the bricks, however, are the
brains of the people who teach in and lead the schools. Investing in
programs and ideas that promise to attract top talent into the teaching
and school leadership fields -- Teach For America springs to mind, as
do charter school programs such as KIPP and Green Dot - would have more
of an impact on student achievement than putting a computer in every
classroom.
In the public sector, too, we need to invest in people. We should make
it easier for top young people and career switchers to enter the public
sector, so that we do not lose good people before they even enter the
public service. We should beef up existing programs for new talent,
such as the Presidential Management Fellowship and the Truman Scholars,
as well as strengthen professional development programs such as those
offered at the Federal Executive Institute. We also should build a
Public Service Academy that would be on par with the military service
academies and would develop future leaders in the public sector.
Unlike bricks, these kinds of investments in our intellectual infrastructure would not
decay over time, and they promise to lay a foundation of talent and
leadership for critically important areas of public service.
Chris Myers, 33, runs the U.S. Public Service Academy. Write him at: asch@uspublicserviceacademy.org.
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