We're the Fools If We Don't Fix Our Schools

Over a year ago, we set out on a mission to elevate the discussion amongst America's leaders about the need for education reform. In this year, we have made substantial progress -- not only have we had the presidential candidates start talking about the education crisis, but they’ve also began to offer solutions for teacher recruitment and higher education standards.

We've communicated with thousands of people from Iowa to Texas to California and New Hampshire on the need for education reform. We're going strong and we're ready to re-launch our campaign for the general election.

Traditionally, today is a day for pranks and jokes -- however the global economic crisis the United States is currently facing due to our mediocre educational system is not a joke. It's time for all of us to put our heads together, roll up our sleeves and get back to work delivering a world class education. Only then will our students reach their potential and America will truly prosper.

Voices from the Campaign

I'm always amazed by what our staff accomplishes on a daily basis. We've held numerous events in states all around the country spreading the word and elevating education to the top of the list of our nation's priorities. As my schedule has me on the road most days, I don't often have a chance to update you on all the projects our staff is undertaking.

To give you a more in depth look at the campaign, they've launched a staff blog – "Voices from the Campaign."

This will provide you with a unique opportunity to hear directly from our staff, see photos from our events and they even tell me you'll be able to watch some of our rallies live as they happen.

Be sure to check it out today and let them know what you think.

Traditional School Structure Needs Improvement and Innovation

Today, Ted Kolderie, a senior associate at the Center for Policy Studies, commented about the increased need for innovation in education. He says that, "To meet its goals, this country must next undertake a serious effort to develop new forms of school and schooling. It is time to redirect k-12 policy toward innovation." I happen to agree.

America's schools are not keeping pace with the demands of today's world.  Our schools are failing to prepare all students for college, for careers, and for life.  And they are failing to prepare our nation to compete in today's high-tech global economy. As I've mentioned previously, we need to move beyond the traditional schooling method that was instituted over a hundred years ago to a system that will do more to increase and inspire children's learning potential.

A High-Powered Hill Appearance

One of our campaign's funders, Bill Gates, was on Capitol Hill yesterday testifying before the House Committee on Science and Technology. He spoke about how a strong economy needs a strong educational foundation, "While America's innovation heritage is unparalleled, the evidence is mounting that we are failing to make the investments in our young people, our workers, our scientific research infrastructure, and our economy that will enable us to retain our global innovation leadership."

GOOD Video Makes Good!

Not that long ago, I mentioned that ED in '08 was releasing a new promotional video in partnership with GOOD Magazine. Well, it turns out that the video has been getting around. Our web editor tells me that the video has been viewed nearly 300,000 times on YouTube, and has received over 2,000 comments. I've also been seeing the video embedded on various education blogs and websites, helping to spread the word about ED in '08 and the need for national attention to our schools.

Staying Busy - ED Hits Texas, Arizona, California, and New York!

The presidential candidates aren't the only ones crossing the nation to spread their messages. This week, ED in '08 has events from coast to coast, from press meetings in California to film screenings and panel discussions in New York. We'll be campaigning in Texas for the busy primary tomorrow, and speaking in Washington, DC today, all in order to raise awareness of the critical role education plays in future of our nation. More and more people are asking about education in this election, and we're working hard to make sure those questions get answered.

Closing Out the Week, Looking Ahead

Today I'd like to take a few moments to highlight some of the many interesting events and happenings from this past week that I didn't have the chance to write about earlier.

First, a couple of different articles ran this week that are worth reading. BusinessWeek released an interactive feature focusing on America's declining economic competitiveness and its links to education.

Responding to the NASSP on Two Million Minutes

Recently, the National Association of Secondary School Principals took a look at the documentary Two Million Minutes: A Global Examination. Readers of this blog are familiar with the film and its message of urgency, but the NASSP had a different take. In their statement, they write, "Two Million Minutes opens a conversation about what we value in U.S. culture and the reality of a global economy. But it fails to prove its case against U.S. public schools."

Generation Next Knows All About ED

As a part of the Youth Outlook Media blog-a-thon, in which youth media bloggers from around the country discuss those issues that are important to the younger generation, I asked the ED in '08 Web Editor, Brian Wolly, to write about why education is such an important issue to young voters:

Our organization, ED in '08, is a nonpartisan public awareness campaign aimed at elevating education to the top of the list of our nation's priorities. We are also calling for a vigorous and thorough discussion of the issue by the candidates for president in 2008.

Adding Community Colleges to the Discussion

We spend a lot of time talking to educators of elementary and secondary students, but this morning I had the opportunity to address the 2008 Community College National Legislative Summit, and hear from the leaders of community colleges from across the United States. It was a packed house, with over 1,000 attendees.

I spoke about our work here at ED in '08 and the challenges facing our schools, challenges that impact the millions of students who enroll in colleges each year, about half of whom attend community colleges.

To the Field Teams- Many Thanks

In the lull between the storm of caucuses and primaries across the country, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the thousands of ED in '08 supporters nationwide who have turned out to our field events, worn a button, signed a petition, or held a sign in solidarity with our mission here at ED in '08.

New Video from ED in '08 and GOOD Magazine

Yesterday, ED in '08, in partnership with GOOD Magazine, released a new video comparing students in America to students in other industrialized countries.  The video demonstrates how America has fallen behind in international assessment rankings, that our students are unprepared to compete in a global workforce, and how our economy is suffering as a result.

Reaching out to Teachers

We've got many current and former teachers who work with us here at ED in '08, and they are always quick to remind us that teachers can be powerful voices for change, perhaps even more so than the unions that represent them. ED in '08 is reaching out to teachers in a couple different ways today.

Generation Next, Millennials, and the New Issue Voters

Even as pollsters and pundits exclaim over the youth voters who turned out in record numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire, the candidates are already taking note, surrounding themselves with young faces for photo-ops and updating their MySpace pages. But it's going to take more than a hip hop entrance song to capture these voters; they are largely unaffiliated with any party and are casting their votes based on the issues, perhaps even more so than voters in older demographics.

A New Year's Resolution from the Candidates

At the debates in Iowa last week, the presidential candidates were asked about the New Year's resolutions they had for each other. While for the most part they recited thoughtful responses, it was clear that the candidates just wanted to take the time to talk about themselves. None of them really offered what I was hoping to hear - a New Year's resolution to become a leader for America's schools.