Let’s talk about getting computer science into our K-12 schools
But let’s start by talking about dreams
Opportunities for you
Opportunities for your community
And most importantly, an opportunity to create something
The beauty of computer science is that imagination and creation lie at the heart of the field
This smart phone I have here or the laptop driving this presentation are innovation platforms
They allow dreamers, idealists and entrepreneurs anywhere in world to bring their ideas into reality IF they know how to write the software that drives our modern world

But the reality of our education system today is that it is not set up for everyone to participate in the new American economy and opportunity
Computer science isn’t widely taught in our schools
A recently released comprehensive Gallup survey of parents and school administrators shows the stark gap between what parents want and what is happening in our schools
9 out of 10 parents surveyed WANT their child to learn computer science
But school principals and superintendents tell us that fewer than half of schools actually offer computer science classes
Our education system clearly needs to evolve to bring computer science to students that want to learn this subject
And this evolution isn’t something the tech industry wants, it is clearly something that parents and students want

Let’s address a few misconceptions and themes we consistently hear from our advocacy for students across the country
The first is that we should be teaching our kids to code