Des Moines, Iowa – Three former governors, including Colorado’s Roy Romer, called Tuesday for making education a top issue in the upcoming presidential race.
The governors, backed by teachers and noisy youngsters at the Science Center of Iowa, were making their pitch as part of a $60 million Strong American Schools initiative backed by wealthy philanthropists Bill Gates and Eli Broad.
“Iowans see these presidential candidates a lot, and they hear a lot about our crisis going on overseas or that we have a crisis on our borders,” said Romer, a Democrat leading the effort. “But America’s schools are in a state of crisis, too, with real problems that take real leadership to solve.”
At the news conference, officials said Iowa activists should use the state’s leadoff position in the presidential nominating process to encourage candidates to discuss education issues. They argued that dealing with education problems required a bipartisan involvement in the political process.
“The road to the presidency goes right through your state,” former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack told the youngsters.
Former Iowa Gov. Robert D. Ray, a Republican, also attended.
“Education lies at the heart of every important issue in the presidential contest,” said Ray.
