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It's very easy for people to say what's wrong with education in Arizona, but if I'm elected as governor, I want to focus on what we're doing well and maximizing the impact of what we know is working.

As Governor of North Carolina for two terms, I made improving education a top priority.

All around the United States of America - in the cities and the counties - our public education is suffering and has been suffering. Cuts, cuts, cuts.

As the governor of this state, I obviously see the issue quite differently.

As somebody who visits countless schools, I see firsthand the dire situation our educational system faces.

I've spent the better part of my career in politics and public policy working on and fighting for education reforms.

It's hard to improve public education - that's clear.

During my time as a state legislator, I've pushed for significant investment in public school districts. In Congress, I would look forward to increasing federal public investment in education through initiatives like Race to the Top.

As governor, I'm spending my time focused in three areas: creating jobs, reducing the expense of government and schools.

And I think that we in America need to understand that many schools need improvement, and particularly with respect to how they're serving minority children.