To be prepared for the new world of work--one that outsourcing and automation have transformed--U.S. schools need to set a higher bar. Students need high-level cognitive skills, strong technical skills, character, good communications skills, a well-developed ethical frame, and the ability to relate to a wide range of people from all over the world. Ensuring that students develop such skills and habits is a tall order for schools. But that's what it will take for students to be competitive when they enter the workforce. Notes the author, "global economic forces and advancing technology are acting together to dramatically change the demands on both graduates and their teachers." Schools can help meet these new demands by producing students who are lifelong learners, by integrating academic and technical learning, by offering experiences that teach a range of skills, and by creating a school vision of what the prepared student looks like.