Convinced of the connection between the quality of their schools and the future of their states--not to mention their own political reputations--some governors are seeking a bigger role in shaping education policy by grabbing for more control over their state schools chiefs. Governors note that they are responsible for managing state budgets, of which half typically is devoted to public schools, and say that they take the political heat on education. Governors also argue that school quality is an economic-development issue, and that their influence in that vital area is limited if they can't pick the state chief. But those who argue for an independent schools chief say that improving education is a long-term process that can't be confined to a particular governor's term, and that schools must be insulated as much as possible from politics.