Oregon's largest businesses expect the transformation to produce skilled workers with a sense of "corporate citzenship," better schools, and continuous learning opportunities for employees.

Says Mimi Bushman, K-12 education policy director for the Oregon Business Council, a public-policy group in Portland consisting of the CEO's of Oregon's 43 largest businesses:

• Workers with better skills, especially in problem solving, team building, planning and technical training
• Opportunities for continuous learning, which includes students and employees alike
• Better schools, which enable companies to more easily attract and retain employees
• Corporate citizenship, to be recognized as a social and intellectual asset in local communities

"A huge cultural shift," Bushman says, in which businesses are viewed as "real partners" working on systemic change -- not outsiders and not mere advisers.

"It all boils down to trust," she says.

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