Substantive leadership on education reform

To the editor:

While I'm pleased that Geoff Schumacher's recent column in the Review-Journal states that the ED in '08 campaign is on the right track, I would like to clarify two points ("For better schools, we must pay," Sept. 30).

ED in '08 is not implying that education be federalized or that the president be a national superintendent of schools. Rather, we are calling on the next president to work with state leaders to set rigorous standards so that all students, from New Hampshire to Nevada, acquire the knowledge and skills they need for college, work and life.

Second, the claim that ED in '08's proposals appeal only to Democrats is proved wrong by existing federal initiatives. Congress, with strong Republican support, authorized the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) , providing grants to districts implementing performance-based compensation. By embracing such initiatives, presidential candidates -- Democrat or Republican -- can offer substantive leadership on K-12 education reform.

Roy Romer

WASHINGTON, D.C.

THE WRITER, A FORMER COLORADO GOVERNOR AND SUPERINTENDENT OF THE LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, IS CHAIRMAN OF THE ED IN '08 CAMPAIGN.