Advocates aim to make education part of '08 debate

By Patti Mohr, written April 10, 2007 for Education Daily® 

Polling experts advising both parties said education ranks high on voters' lists of concerns, but issues such as the war in Iraq, health care, and global warming tend to outrank education on surveys dealing with national elections.

The Public Education Network, a coalition of local education funds and individuals who support school reform in low-income communities, is working on a campaign to make education part of the national debate during the election.

Consultants say the only way to make sure schools receive needed attention is to hold lawmakers accountable at all levels -- state, local, and federal -- of the political spectrum. They add that the best way to gain politicians' interest is to first engage the public.

Public engagement is "absolutely needed," if we are going to have a quality public education in a democratic society, said former Education Secretary and South Carolina Gov. Richard Riley, now senior partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP and vice chairman of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Several factors complicate voters' efforts to hold politicians accountable. For starters, the multi-layered accountability system for the nation's public schools makes it difficult for voters to determine which elected official is responsible for policies and school budgets.

Furthermore, all politicians claim to support education without providing specifics about stands on key issues, according to Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners, a Democratic consulting firm. She added that the bottom line is voters simply want all officials to provide quality public education. "Voters think there is a role for government -- and that includes the federal government."

Republican pollsters agree. "Education is an extremely important issue, much more so than I think the data would show," said Ed Goeas, president and CEO of The Tarrance Group, a Republican consulting firm. While education has traditionally been a state responsibility and a local function, there's been a "massive shift" in thinking. Republicans are now more likely to think state and federal lawmakers share the responsibility for fixing problems in public education systems, Goeas said.

The new dynamic could bode well for public schools, if the public attention to education issues impels politicians to act. "At the end of the day," said PEN President Wendy Puriefoy, it is essential to engage "the broadest segment of American public."