Tough Choices or Tough Times (2^nd Ed., Revised and Expanded Edition)
The Report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce

Tough Choices or Tough Times, the report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, shows how the dynamics of the global economy will lead to a steady decline in the American standard of living if this country does not undertake the first thorough overhaul of its education system in a century. This new revised and expanded version of Tough Choices or Tough Times includes:

• An updated Introduction
• A summary of the Commission's proposals
• Commentaries on the proposals by Denis Doyle, Lawrence Mishel, Michael Petrilli, Diane Ravitch, and Richard Rothstein, with responses from members of the Commission.

Tough Choices or Tough Times provides a well-researched analysis of the issues and a compelling set of proposals for changing our system of education.

introduction to the revised edition.

Marc Tucker, President, National Center on Education and the Economy executive summary.

preface.

prologue.

part i : The Nature of the Challenge Now.

part ii : The Scenario: The Recommendations as They Might Look from the Vantage Point of an Observer in 2021.

comments.

background papers.

Estimates of the Additional Expense and Savings Associated with the Commission’s Proposed Reforms in Elementary and Secondary Education.

Teachers and Teaching Policy.

Early Childhood Education.

The Adult Workforce.

commentary on the report.

“Tough Choices”: Change the System, or Suffer the Consequences (Marc S. Tucker).

“Tough Choices”: Radical Ideas, Misguided Assumptions (Diane Ravitch).

Education’s “Grand Departure”: Defending the Skills Commission’s Vision for the Future (Thomas W. Payzant, Charles B. Reed).

Making Tough Choices (Marc S. Tucker).

Th e New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce: Old News or New News? (Denis P. Doyle).

Big Challenges, Bold Ideas (Michael J. Petrilli).

False Alarm (Lawrence Mishel, Richard Rothstein).

The Economic Case for Education Reform (Marc S. Tucker).

Improper Diagnosis, Reckless Treatment (Lawrence Mishel, Richard Rothstein).

Reckless and Wildly Exaggerated? We Don’t Think So! A Response to Mishel and Rothstein (Marc S. Tucker).

appendixes.

The Study.

Trustees of the National Center on Education and the Economy.

Biographies of the Members of the Commission.

Commission Staff and Associates.

National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) (www.ncee.org) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing young people with the world-class skills that will allow them to succeed in a global economy. The National Center engages in policy analysis and development and works collaboratively with others at the local, state, and national levels to advance its proposals in the policy arena.