Education Nation kicks off in NYC

(NBC) - New York City's public library will soon host the nation's leaders in education, government, business, philanthropy and media.

More than 300 people will be brought together by NBC to seek solutions to the biggest issues facing America's education system.

"We just think at NBC that we can shine a spotlight on what's working and share results," said Soraya Gage, general manager of NBC Learn & Education Nation.

For the summit's third year, NBC spread out across the country from California to Illinois, this time to find stories of innovation in the classroom.

"It's good for a news division to stand for something, and we think that education is a broad subject matter that doesn't get enough attention from the traditional news media," said NBC News president Steve Capus.

NBC News journalists will highlight the programs that work and moderate discussions on ways to expand them to other struggling communities.

With the presidential election just weeks away, this year's education nation has taken on an even bigger role.

"We're excited that we're gonna have both president Obama and Governor Romney participate in Education Nation. It's only fitting," said Capus.