Education is the pathway to the American Dream. Done right, it provides all students with an equal opportunity to participate in the future. The President of the United States can use the office to raise public awareness of the shocking educational failure of a majority of US students on basic education. S/He can elevate the discussion of what it takes to spearhead bold and innovative policies.  Whether it was President Kennedy’s call for a new emphasis on education to counter the Russian’s technological advances during the “Space Race”, A Nation At Risk during the Reagan Administration or President Clinton’s embrace of educational opportunity through charter schools, each President can set a dynamic, bi-partisan  and forward looking vision for how America provides for and what it expects from policies and the people educating our youth. 

It starts with two major engines that drive progress in every other endeavor – access to innovation and the provision of opportunity to take advantage of it. It is critical that the individual who occupies the highest office in the land understand the many different facets of education innovation and opportunity.  The world has advanced considerably since the time of the little red school house. From how the brain works, to new understanding of how different children learn, to the role of technology – what we know now must transform how we do education today.

No matter what form it takes, these are the fundamental issues that CER believes make up the philosophical bedrock on which a President must stand. Regardless of the idea or program proposal, it must have at its core the understanding that every student, at every level, needs access to education opportunities – both public and private – that do not confine students to schools in their zip code and that address the needs of students at all levels and that harness the power of innovation to accelerate learning for all.  

The next President must also advocate for the development of policies that expand the teacher workforce with the same entrepreneurial approaches that have transformed work in all other sectors, raising the bar on performance and ensuring that pay is differentiated by the variety and quality of work that is performed by those in the education profession.  

These are the issues that are front and center with American families. We know, because we listen to the voices that reach out to us from districts, counties, towns, and states across the country daily.

This page  is dedicated  to ensuring that any candidate hears and acts upon those same voices for the benefit of all families and children seeking the chance to participate in the future.

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