Former Oklahoma congressman J.C. Watts Jr. is visiting Des Moines today to speak on behalf of the Strong American Schools’ ED in ’08 campaign, which advocates educational gains as a way to enhance America’s economic prosperity.

A recent national poll revealed that education ranks as a top concern for Americans, right after the economy and gas prices and ahead of the war in Iraq, terrorism, the environment and immigration. Half of those polled said the United States is falling behind the rest of the world in education, and 62 percent said the quality of schools is worse than 20 years ago.

“I think that we’ve loosened our grip on the institutions that I think made us the envy of the world for a long time, and I think one of those institutions that we’ve loosened our grip on is education,” Watts said.

Watts suggests higher standards for the whole education system, more accountability and rewards for teachers, and more time for teachers to actually teach, apart from the current 180-day K-12 academic year.

With these three things, a proper educational system can be built and the nation can rank higher than it does today, Watts said. Currently, the United States is near the bottom of a list of 30 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations in a study of math and science achievement.

“If you don’t have the proper educational system in place, it impacts the economics of the country, because you just don’t have a proficient work force to do the manufacturing, to do the health care, to do the scientific analysis, to handle the weapons; so there is a link,” Watts said. “There is not one person in downtown Des Moines that goes to work every day Monday through Friday that their pay is not related in some way to the quality of their education.”

Watts’ visit included an appearance before a joint meeting of the West Des Moines, Clive and Waukee chambers of commerce.