~ Minnesota Governor will lead nation’s leading nonprofit, nonpartisan education organization from summer 2008 to summer 2010 ~

Denver – The Education Commission of the States (ECS) announced today that Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty will become Chairman of ECS this summer at the 2008 National Forum on Education Policy in Austin, Texas.

ECS is an interstate compact created in 1965 to improve public education by facilitating the exchange of information, ideas and experiences among state policymakers and education leaders. As the only nonprofit, nonpartisan, nationwide organization involving key leaders from all levels of the education system, ECS creates unique opportunities to build partnerships, share information and promote the development of policy based on available research and strategies.

“The most important ticket to the future is the quality of education our children receive,” Governor Pawlenty said. “States have led the way in embracing higher standards, innovation, and increased accountability for results. I look forward to continuing to work with education reform leaders across the nation to better prepare our children for the hypercompetitive, global world we live in.”

Governor Pawlenty will assume his new leadership post from current ECS Chair Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius during the annual forum to be held June 30-July 2, 2008. The forum will feature some of the nation’s leading education researchers, experts and practitioners.

Every two years, the chairmanship of ECS rotates between Democratic and Republican governors. “ECS would like to thank Kathleen Sebelius for her service. As a result of her dedicated leadership, our organization is now stronger,” ECS President Roger Sampson said. “We also thank Governor Pawlenty for taking on this new leadership role. We know he will build on our strengths and bring expertise and enthusiasm to ECS’ priorities: benchmarking to international standards and strengthening policies that deal with workforce development and seamless education systems.”

Throughout his gubernatorial career, Governor Pawlenty has distinguished himself as a strong advocate for progress in education. In Minnesota, he has worked to improve educational achievement by establishing clear and rigorous standards to measure performance, increasing K-12 education spending and creating a teacher performance pay program.

Governor Pawlenty currently serves as chair of the National Governors Association and on the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, the Achieve Inc. Board of Directors and the James B. Hunt Jr. Institute Board of Directors. He is a former chair of the Midwestern Governors Association and the Governors Ethanol Coalition.

The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is the only nationwide, nonpartisan interstate compact devoted to education. ECS helps governors, legislators, state education officials and others identify, develop and implement public policies to improve student learning at all levels. A nonprofit organization, ECS (www.ecs.org) was formed in 1965 and is located in Denver, Colorado.