For months America has been fascinated with the personalities of the presidential contenders. Weekly stories about staff conflicts, verbal faux pas and lists of famous supporters have shifted the public debate away from the policy issues such as the state of American public education. Voters will soon decide who will lead America for the next four years. While knowing that our next president is personable is important, knowing where she or he stands on the issues and her or his policy priorities is most important.

In November the United States will elect a new president, opening a small window of opportunity for change. Does Senators Hillary Clinton, John McCain or Barack Obama differ on the key issues? In particular while many polls look at the issues such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the mortgage crisis, price of gasoline, the economy and healthcare, little is said about public education in the national debate.

We Americans are segmented into numerous categories such as Baby- Boomers, Generation X and Y’ers and now the Millennials, all of which are defined by birth years, politics, culture and buying power but in reality has proven to excuse us all from addressing the dire state of public education.

Educators raised the distress call decades ago with cries around aging facilities, books and resources, social and psychological stresses, economic disparity impacts, poor nutrition, declining health, staffing and hazardous environments. As a result of ignoring these pleas, the quality of education is deteriorating resulting in lower graduation rates of African American and Hispanic students, rising rates in childhood asthma and obesity, and low teacher morale among other concerns.

President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act , No Child Left Behind Act may have briefly called attention to the disparities in public education, but in many cases it simply added additional burdens to overcrowded school districts, understaffed schools, and under supported students.

Teachers have held strikes, parents have pleaded with school boards, students have written emails and marched at state capitals, but still education has suffered.

Here in California, public education is poised to take another hit in the governor’s newly proposed budget. Students, parents, and teachers have protested protested the possible cuts to public education funding because they will result in the lay-offs of thousand of teachers and the loss of art, music and sport programs.

The current crisis the state of California is facing can be found across the nation. Public education needs national leadership and vision. Strong policy solutions and substantial funding should be made a national priority.

Public education is the core of American ideals. Accessible, equitable, quality education will lead to a strong, productive citizenry. A healthy, creative, educated child should not be just a goal but a given.

Less money will do nothing to resolve them.