Former Colorado Governor Romer Joins National Education Leaders to Highlight the Need for Education Dialogue From America’s Leaders

    Influential leaders gather in Denver to put forth solutions to fix

America's failing schools



    DENVER, Aug. 25 /
EMWNews
/ -- Strong American Schools

Chairman Roy Romer today joined with business executives and education

reform leaders to discuss the crisis in American schools and its impact on

businesses and the American workforce. The participants outlined the

necessary steps to fix the overwhelming problems facing America's schools.

The panel, The 2008 Rocky Mountain Roundtable on Education, was part of a

two-day series of discussions by national leaders on what the future holds

for American schools.



    These events fall on the heels of last week's Strong American Schools

Colorado launch, where many statewide Colorado elected officials, educators

and business leaders stood together on the steps of the state's capitol, in

a bipartisan effort, to declare the need for leaders to a stand together

and improve the state of America's schools.



    "I am happy to join with these leaders here today in Denver to discuss

what changes must be made to our education system to ensure our students

are equipped with the skills they need to succeed in college, work and

life," said Roy Romer. "We need our nation's leaders focused on the issue

of education. Without effective teachers in every classroom, increased time

and support for student learning and common, rigorous standards our schools

will continue to under prepare our students."



    Over the course of the last sixteen months, leaders across the country

and of all professions have joined the Strong American Schools Campaign in

states including New Hampshire, South Carolina, Iowa, Ohio, Missouri,

Nevada and Colorado calling on other Americans to take notice of the crisis

in our schools and to demand a plan to fix the broken system from national

leaders.



    The 2008 Rocky Mountain Roundtable on Education participants included:

Shirley Bloomfield, senior VP of federal relations of Qwest; Eli Broad,

founder of The Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation; Barbara Byrd-Bennett,

executive-in-residence of Cleveland State University; former CEO of

Cleveland Municipal Schools; Mike Feinberg, co-founder of Knowledge is

Power Program (KIPP); Chris Gabrieli, chairman and co-founder of

Massachusetts 2020; Walter Isaacson, CEO and president of the Aspen

Institute and chairman of the board for Teach for America board; Paula

Prahl, senior VP of communications, public affairs and corporate

responsibility of Best Buy; Jon Schnur, CEO and co-founder of New Leaders

for New Schools; and John Wilson, executive director of National Education

Association.



    Strong American Schools is a nonpartisan public awareness and advocacy

effort aimed at elevating discussion among America's leaders about the need

for education reform. If you would like to speak to Governor Romer or other

Strong American Schools officials, you can reach me at (202) 870.1097 or

through email at [email protected].