A Note from Gaston

Gaston Caperton

Dear Colleagues,

April has been another exciting month for all of us, with the release of a major poll and the launch of a new initiative that we hope will shake up the 2012 campaign cycle.

One of our nation’s most enduring themes—and one of the College Board’s core principles — is that education and prosperity go hand in hand. Yet every four years when it comes time to choose a president, education becomes the issue in the back of the class with its hand up that the teacher never calls on — desperate to be heard but ignored or unable to be seen.

Well, this year we may have finally reached a tipping point. The College Board teamed with Hart Research Associates and North Star Opinion Research to poll swing state voters on their feelings about the state of education in America. The survey shows that education is the sleeper issue of Campaign 2012.

Voters from every economic group want the candidates to give more time and attention to their plans for improving education in America. They understand that postsecondary education lies at the heart of the American dream and that any person who wants to lead our nation must have a clear plan for strengthening —education — the foundation of our economic success.

At the College Board, we are doing our best to amplify their voices and keep the message ringing loud and clear. The constituencies we serve, especially students, teachers, parents and administrators, want to hear real answers to tough questions.

Questions like: How can America reclaim its position atop the academic ladder? How can education be both better and more affordable? How can we better use the money we already spend on education? How can we provide more money to our schools at a time of economic hardship for many individuals and many states? These questions affect every aspect of our country’s future.

That’s why we announced the launch of our own campaign to ensure that the candidates keep talking about education. And we’re calling it, “Don’t Forget Ed!”

Don’t Forget Ed! is a grassroots effort supported by teachers, students, administrators and advocates that will continue through Election Day in November. The home of this movement will be its website, dontforgeted.org. The site will provide a vehicle for any concerned citizen to press for education to be a priority during the political contests of 2012, not just in the presidential race but also  in statewide elections for U.S. Senate and several governorships.

The voters have made their feelings clear. But will the candidates listen? We certainly hope so.

Next month I’ll be back with more to report on the kick-off of the Advocacy & Policy Center’s Completion Arch and our annual Inspiration Award winners.

Looking forward to an exciting and enlightening campaign season,