ACOMB, Mich. - Vice President Al Gore became an eighth-grade civics teacher yesterday as he took his White House campaign to L'Anse Creuse Middle School North in suburban Detroit.
Between classes and after a cafeteria pizza lunch, Gore reached out to parents, teachers, students, and counselors for advice on how to upgrade education.
''I'm here to learn,'' said Gore, who heard a variety of calls, ranging from reducing class size to a need for greater parental involvement.
The visit to the 900-student school was the first of a series of ''School Days'' Gore intends to spend in classrooms across the nation every few weeks until the presidential election in November.
Gore has vowed to make upgrading schools his top priority as president, saying that a good education is vital to raise the hopes of all and maintain a robust economy.
''If I'm entrusted with the presidency, my intention would be to do these (School Days) on a regular basis,'' Gore said during a meeting with two dozen teachers.
Polls show education to be a top concern among voters, who traditionally favor Democrats with this subject. But Texas Governor George W. Bush, the Republican presidential nominee, has successfully positioned himself as a education reformer.
A recent survey, The Voter.Com Battleground 2000 Poll, found the public split when asked who would do a better job with education. Of the 1,000 persons surveyed, 44 percent picked Gore and 42 percent favored Bush. The poll had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
