Strong American Schools, a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, is a nonprofit organization supported by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that seeks to promote sound education policies for all Americans. Through its “ED in 08” information and nonpartisan advocacy campaign, it sought to inspire a debate about America’s schools and to make education a top priority in the 2008 presidential election.[1]
Roy Romer, the former governor of Colorado and a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, serves as chairman of the organization. Marc S. Lampkin, the deputy campaign manager for the 2000 Bush-Cheney presidential campaign, acts as the executive director.
| Strong American Schools / ED in 08 Steering Committee | |
|---|---|
| Roy RomerChairman Former Governor of Colorado Former Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District | |
| Eli BroadFounder, The Broad Foundations | |
| Allan GolstonPresident of U.S. Program, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | |
| Janet MurguíaPresident and CEO, National Council of La Raza | |
| Louis GerstnerFormer CEO of IBM | |
| John EnglerFormer Governor of Michigan President of the National Association of Manufacturers | |
| Marc LampkinExecutive Director |
The stated goal of the campaign is to achieve nationwide debate on education reform during which every presidential candidate addresses three priorities for improving education:[2]
Strong American Schools ran its information campaign like a presidential campaign, but would not support or oppose any candidate for public office and would not take positions on legislation. The Broad and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations committed up to $60 million to fund the effort.[3] Strong American Schools and the ED in 08 campaign were the successors to the STAND UP campaign launched in 2006, and had a headquarters staff in Washington, DC, and field offices in Manchester, NH and in Des Moines, IA.
The campaign was shuttered in March 2009, once it had served its purpose.[4]