Nine out of ten Americans believe that providing all children with a quality education is an attainable goal—not a pipe dream . . . 53 percent of Americans believe that education spending should be shielded from budget cuts, more than the total of all other responses combined . . . 63 percent of Americans say a candidate’s stance on education is either one of the most important factors or a very important factor influencing their vote.

These are just some of the results from a recent survey, “Accountability for All: What Voters Want from Education Candidates,” conducted by the Public Education Network (PEN). Wendy D. Puriefoy, PEN president, addressed over 300 community leaders at the Chamber Trustees Luncheon, presented by the Orlando Regional Chamber in partnership with the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools, Inc.

The nation’s largest network of community-based school reform organizations, PEN is embarking on new initiatives on teacher quality and standards, assessment and accountability. The release of these data could not be more timely, given the fact that many of America’s public schools systems—and those in Florida particularly—are in crisis. With the addition of 5,000 new students each year in Orange County Public Schools alone, the challenges seem almost insurmountable. School systems throughout the region face similar teacher shortages, language and cultural barriers, and capital needs.

It is important to note that incremental change is not working. Radical change is necessary because the world today is more complex than it has ever been, with the knowledge base doubling every 10 years. The equivalent of 500 years of change in the past now happens in just 25 short years. With only one-third of Americans being parents of school-aged children, it is difficult to affect systemic and sustainable change. That is why it is so important to engage the business community, civic and religious leaders in the public-education discussion and debate. Our failure shortchanges our children.

All children can learn, and they can learn at high levels. This is the belief upon which standards-based education reform is built. We know what it takes to improve schools, and teacher quality is essential. Did you know that three out of every ten Americans is a school teacher or has a close family member or friend who is a current or former teacher? This “teacher” group could be a powerful voting bloc in local, state and national elections.

“We have made a national commitment to hold every student and every school accountable for measurable improvements in learning. Now voters say it is time to hold politicians to an equally high standard,” says Puriefoy. “Make no mistake: Politicians who fail to match education rhetoric with education results run the risk of earning an ‘F’ in November.” For more information on the Public Education Network or to access a copy of the poll, visit www.PublicEducation.org.

Americans place quality education at the top of their lists of priorities, and they want their elected leaders to do the same. Feedback from the recent myregion.org Essential Activities Workshop on Education validates many of these same opinions locally. A summary of the Workshop Notes can be accessed in the Document Center at www.myregion.org.