Same Message, New Urgency

Last week, at the Yale School of Management's Education Leadership Conference, my colleague, ED in '08 executive director Marc Lampkin, had the opportunity to do just that. ...

At the conference, Marc spoke about the need to apply urgency that education reform feels toward political activism. Despite the commitment many in the education community share toward reform, I often notice that relatively few consider themselves to be politically relevant, or use their voices to make education more of a priority for policy makers.

One important aspect of our work here at ED in '08 is to reach out to other groups and individuals who are striving for education reform in meaningful ways, and join together to discuss our mutual priorities for America's schools. Last week, at the Yale School of Management's Education Leadership Conference, my colleague, ED in '08 executive director Marc Lampkin, had the opportunity to do just that.  The theme of the conference was "Innovations in Education," and included discussions and panels on topics such as "Prioritizing Education: 2008 Elections as a Catalyst for Change" and "The Human Capital Challenge: Bringing New Approaches to Scale." Groups as diverse as Democrats for Education Reform, New Leaders for New Schools, Scholastic, and the New Schools Venture Fund attended the conference.

At the conference, Marc spoke about the need to apply urgency that education reform feels toward political activism. Despite the commitment many in the education community share toward reform, I often notice that relatively few consider themselves to be politically relevant, or use their voices to make education more of a priority for policy makers. The New Haven Register reported, "Lampkin asked conference attendees to raise a hand if they had voted in the most recent presidential primary. Nearly every hand shot up." Marc then asked for the hands of those who considered education a top priority in deciding their vote -- only a few hands were raised.

Another speaker at the event, Alex Johnston, executive director of Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, said that there is a "clear need for strong national leadership. There are 50 states doing 50 different things. Some are doing nothing."

He acknowledged that the president has a strong "bully pulpit" to push education reform, but added that reform advocates must demonstrate "visible support" before candidates will respond.

People in education don't always think politically, but they desperately need to. I agree with Marc and Alex that raising awareness of education issues and the greater implications for our economy and nation is an essential part of affecting change. Education must become a significant part of the political conversation.

As both a former politician and school district leader I understand that the forces at play in our schools are more than just social and economic -- they are political as well. That's why I believe so strongly in our mission here at ED in '08, and it's going to take the voices and energy of all reformers, educators, and voters to make a difference.