Last week, as the head to head campaign to succeed George Bush began in earnest powerful voices and divergent viewpoints competed to get their message to the two campaigns.

On the heels of the release of the “Broader, Bolder Approach” on Tuesday (which David Brooks described as “the status quo position” a new coalition spearheaded by Chancellor Joel Kline and Al Sharpton released a “hold the line” position on NCLB accountability, equity (defined as rising test scores not necessarily resources), “closing the achievement gap is the new civil rights” argument, and a sprinkling of “teachers’ union contracts and ineffective teachers are a major obstacle.” One significant policy camp not heard from directly this week is the “global competition” crowd - Bill Gates et al, although Roy Romer, former LA superintendent, was present at this press conference. Most recently Romer is chairing Strong American Schools, an advocacy organization which has both Eli Broad and Bill Gates on its steering committee.

The only voice missing last week it seems was that of those who do the work - the teachers. They were busy bringing the school year to a close, and here in the northeast, in the midst of a heat wave which swept across the country. The successful candidate in November’s election who will ultimately shepherd the Reauthorization of ESEA through the next Congress would do well to not replicate the closed door process of 2001 and indeed listen to America’s classroom teachers and their surrogates.