Washington | September 29, 2010 - Yesterday, I had the opportunity to participate in NBC's National Education Summit with Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller, and other elected officials to hear from teachers, parents, and principals about the current status of education in America and to discuss ideas for reforming our nation's education system.  I took part in the panel discussion, entitled, "Taking Our Ideas to the Policymakers," which sought to understand how policymakers, from the local school districts up to the Secretary of Education, are making decisions, and how those decisions are affecting our children, communities, and country.  There is no greater mission in our nation that providing children with diverse opportunities, which is only made accessible by a quality and affordable education.

I am optimistic that the discussion we had will both improve understanding of the local and national hurdles to improving education and more importantly, lead us to craft new education policies that draw on common sense ideas and proven techniques so the children of this country can see a positive impact as quickly as possible.  Delaware remains a leader in education reform and I was pleased that yesterday at the University of Delaware, hundreds of teachers, education leaders, policy groups, legislators and administrators gathered for workshops and converse about reforming Delaware's education system. On Capitol Hill, I am hopeful Congress will work together to revise and update the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and that yesterday's discussion will bring fresh ideas and understanding as we move forward.

To learn more about this initiative, please visit www.educationnation.com, and to view a brief clip from the summit, please visit MSNBC. Also, as always, please feel free to contact me with your concerns and comments on this or any other issue.