President Obama on Monday called on the nation’s governors to boost their investments in education programs that work in their states, including higher education.
“Today, I’m calling on all of you — invest more in education. Invest more in our children and our future,” Obama said at the National Governors Association meeting. “We’ve got to get past the old dogmas — whether on the liberal side, or the conservative side.”
The President said the strength of the nation’s education will be a critical determinant of America’s ability to continue leading the world. “No issue will have a bigger impact on the future performance of our economy than education,” he said. “The countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow.”
He said his administration intends to work with governors to “fix” No Child Left Behind and help make college more affordable for those who want to attend. He said federal assistance to states will be affected by performances and efforts in these areas.
“I believe education is an issue that is best addressed at the state level. And governors are in a position to have the best impact,” Obama said. “This is going to be something that I’m going to want to collaborate with all of you on.”
“Frankly,” he said, “I don’t think this should be a partisan issue.” The governors applauded.
