Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is part of a new bipartisan effort to raise the standards of education in the United States. Vilsack, a Democrat who briefly made a run for president before pulling out of the race, says the overall goals to get the presidential candidates to talk about K-12 education reform.
Vilsack says in the state of Iowa, two out of every 10 kids do not graduate. "While that happens to be one of the top five states in the country, what a statement that is," Vilsack says. Vilsack says they want to fix some of the problems with the "No Child Left Behind" program and make sure that kids have the skills they need to succeed in life.
Vilsack says No Child Left Behind got education on the agenda, but they’re hoping education becomes as important an issue to the candidates in debates and town meetings as Iraq, health care and energy. A forum on the issue is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 10 at the Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines.