Yesterday I shared a short video previewing the new documentary, “12 Million Minutes”, produced by EDin08, the non-profit group funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Strong American Schools. Actually, their own promotional materials pretty-much sum up their funding and their mission.

Strong American Schools, a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, is a nonpartisan campaign supported by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation promoting sound education policies for all Americans. SAS does not support or oppose any candidate for public office and does not take positions on legislation.

Today, besides encouraging you to join this group (and get a nifty T-shirt), I would like to share an email that they sent to me, ’cause I’m already a member.

EMAIL - www.EDin08.com -1/24/2008:

Education is Key to Rebuilding a Strong Economy

Improving our educational performance will pay dividends to Americans

Americans used to have a homefield advantage — U.S. industry looked toward high school and college graduates to fill out its workforce. Now, the best opportunities go to the best educated, no matter where they live. Other countries, such as India and China, are seizing this opportunity and improving their skills.

American 15-year-olds are significantly below average in math and science. Out of 30 industrialized countries participating in a 2006 assessment, America’s 15-year-olds ranked 25th in math and 21st in science.

While America once had the best high school graduation rate in the world, it has now slipped to 20th out of 26 countries.

If elected officials truly want to boost our country’s economy, they MUST focus on strengthening K-12 education.

Ask the Candidates about Education!

You CAN have a voice in these presidential debates. Next week, CNN will be co-hosting two debates with the Politico, the Reagan Library, and the Los Angeles Times. The debate sponsors are welcoming debate questions for submission or you can vote on previously submitted questions.

Make sure YOUR voice is heard by asking questions about how the United States will compete in a global economy if our education system doesn’t improve.

Read our fact sheet on Economic Competitiveness for ideas for questions.

END OF EMAIL

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While I respect everything that EDin08 is attempting, I feel additional approaches are important during this worsening educational crisis. We definitiely need to make politicians address the issue of educational problems, but we also need to demand a WORKABLE PLAN TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMS.

Every politician that has answered the education questions in the debates up to now has given vague answers, presented partial solutions, or concentrated on only one area of problems, rather than laying out a specific program to FIX OUR SCHOOLS!

That’s the reason why I try to tell everyone about Set Our Teachers FREE! A Plan to Save Public Education. Inside that little book is a lifetime worth of positive teaching experience and solutions for ALL the problems in public education in the USA. If only we could get some of these politicians to learn about The Kingsland Plan and see the practical common sense solutions presented. (We’ve tried, believe me. So far, they are only interested in presenting their own pre-planned agendas.)

If politicians can really understand how bad the situation is - and truly want to fix it -then they should be more receptive to this very workable, common sense solution.

I personally think it will be the parents, teachers and taxpayers who are rallying around The Kingsland Plan and this movement to improve education that will FORCE the politicians to listen, then act. If you haven’t read the book yet, get your copy today!

Brennan

Filed under: Education News