Closing Out the Week, Looking Ahead
February 29, 2008 - 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. They’ve made some interested graphs that show just how concerning these downward trends are, and their implications for our economy. Also, Wendy Puriefoy’s op-ed in USA Today shared her disappointment in the lack of substance on education we’ve seen thus far in the presidential primaries. Puriefoy argues:

“Listen to the fevered rhetoric of the presidential candidates and you get the impression that the country is in a state of crisis. They have talked pointedly about the war in Iraq, the ailing economy and the need for health care reform. Taxes, immigration and the war on terror? All accounted for. Yet one issue that's key to our nation's security, prosperity and future has barely been discussed in the more than 30 hours of debates: education.”

ED in ’08 executive director Marc Lampkin joined education leaders, policymakers and entrepreneurs at the Education Industry Association’s 8th Annual “Education Industry Days” earlier this week in Washington, DC to examine the role of public policy and business in ensuring improvement in America's public schools. Policy representatives from some of the leading presidential candidates also spoke, but from what I hear, people were coming up to Marc afterwards saying he should be running for office with his urgent message of school reform!

And even though the caucuses are over, Iowa still has education on its mind – the Iowa State Legislature passed a resolution this week in support of Strong American Schools and ED in ‘08’s efforts. In House Resolution 112, the Iowa House of Representatives declared, “NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That the House of Representatives supports the Strong American Schools Campaign and recognizes the need for leadership at the local, state, and national levels in order to improve this nation's schools.”

Coming up next week – ED in ’08 will be busy with policy events at the American Enterprise Institute and the Center for American Progress, and “Two Million Minutes” makes its New York City debut at the Celebration for Teaching and Learning. Stay tuned!