“Building Jobs in the Rust Belt: The Role of Education” by Dana Mitra (Professor of Education Theory and Policy, Penn State) 1 When my father-in-law struggled in school in a mill town along the Ohio River, his parents suggested that he head across the bridge and work in the steel mill. It was a path that once created stable lives for many Pittsburghers. 2 But in the 1970s, steel and coal were on the decline in the midwestern and mid-Atlantic “Rust Belt.” Manufacturers downsized in favor of automation or relocated to affordable overseas operations. Over time, these regions have become desperate due to chronic problems of extended unemployment, increases in substance abuse, declining populations and an overall degradation of the quality of life. 3 When asked how to improve Rust Belt communities, the answer of working-class residents is still “jobs, jobs, jobs.” In other words, residents hope that a mega-corporation will ride in like a white knight and employ the community, yet steel and coal are unlikely to make a strong comeback in the United States. 4 As a researcher of education policy at Penn State, I wanted to explore whether K-12 schools in the Rust Belt region were still preparing young people for the mill towns of old or were responding to the economic realities of today. What adaptations might they make to build upon the resources that still exist in Rust Belt communities