wanted: 21st Century skills for 21st Century workforce

from eSchool News:

Voters urge teaching of 21st-century skills: Results of a new poll commissioned by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills shows the vast majority of U.S. voters believe students are ill-equipped to compete in the global learning environment, and that schools must incorporate 21st-century skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, communication and self-direction, and computer and technology skills into the curriculum. But the upcoming presidential election, researchers say, presents a perfect opportunity to charter a new path to success for America's students ... http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=7434

...But can we convince legislators that real, usable skills are more important than memorized facts and test scores?