It is great news to hear that states in support of education reform and school choice are taking a stance and making a change. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels is doing just that. He began this push by inviting Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush who changed the education system in Florida to come and speak. While at Indiana’s Education Roundtable, Bush stated that the most important and first thing Indiana must do is evaluate and produce a “letter-grade report card for schools based on student’s performance.” Find out where and how schools are going wrong and fixing it…that sounds like a smart idea to me.
Governor Bush instituted the following education reforms while in office:
1. State-funded preschool
2. Performance bonuses for teacher
3. Alternative licensing for Teacher without education degrees
4. School choice for students in failing schools.
Even though Governor Bush created these great ideas for education reform, he didn’t stop there. He stated that change also needs to come from Congress, by giving schools credit for improvements in students’ test scores. I am glad that Governor Daniels plans on using Florida’s reforms as a stepping stone and a model for Indiana’s own education reform.
These are real changes, real reforms. These are solutions to the education problem. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan needs to realize it’s not just about the money. It is about creating solutions. Giving 4.35 billion dollars to failing Sacramento schools with no strings attached is not the answer. It’s changing the leadership, making new programs and minimizing government control. Come on Arne…