Not just bipartisan… “tripartisan”
Last week we’d told you about the unlikely trio touring the country and making the case for education reform. Newt Gingrich, Al Sharpton & Arne Duncan may not agree on many things, but they do agree that education in this country is in desperate need of reform, and they’re joining together to make that happen.
On The Enterprise Blog, Speaker Gingrich shares some more insight into his reasons for joining in this effort, and what it means for our country.
Sadly, 26 years of reform effort have failed to achieve the progress we need. My purpose for joining Secretary Duncan and Rev. Al Sharpton is to bring all of our efforts together to formulate a “tripartisan” plan for arriving at a breakthrough in education.
This is a national security effort and deserves the support of all Americans. If we are going to build that broad coalition, with the support of both parties and Congress and the president, we have to work to work through our differences and come together to help create a brighter future for America’s children.
For more on the tour (which, according to American Solutions, will “include school visits, stakeholder meetings and media briefings, will take the three to Philadelphia on September 29, New Orleans on November 3, and Baltimore on November 13″) and how you can get involved, visit American Solutions’ website.
American Solutions Video: Newt Gingrich & Al Sharpton
American Solutions has video up from this morning’s joint appearance by Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton on NBC’s Today Show talking about education reform. We had mentioned their efforts earlier today, and we applaud their efforts to bring about meaningful education reform.
American Solutions writes:
On most issues, we disagree strongly with Rev. Sharpton and the Obama Administration. But we believe when you can find common ground, it’s important to work together to achieve the common goal–especially when it’s something as important as our children’s future.
To his credit, President Obama supports unlimited charter schools. On this subject, and in other ways that we can work together to strengthen education in our country, we look forward to working with the President.
While we would go further than the President by supporting vouchers, Obama’s support of charter schools is noteworthy because of the strong opposition from many in his party.
At its core, this tour is about our children and their future. If we want to remain the safest, freest and most prosperous nation in the world, our children and grandchildren must have access to schools where they can learn to their fullest potential. And our schools must be accountable for results and be focused solely on learning and achievement.
This is about children, and their (and our) future. And we do agree that it is an area where people can find common ground to make needed reforms reality.
