Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush testified before a joint hearing of the House and Senate Education committees Wednesday largely in support of Governor Rick Snyder’s education reform plans outlined in April.
Joined by Patricia Levesque, the Executive Director of Governor Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education, the former Florida Governor also joined Governor Snyder, House Speaker Jase Bolger (R-Marshall) and Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) at a press conference. Mr. Bush stressed two major themes – that effective reform must be comprehensive and that results do not take form overnight. Ms. Levesque used the example of reforms passed in 1999 that didn’t show significant results until 2006 when teachers and principals began to see better-prepared students.
Mr. Bush indicated that the most important factor in student and school improvement is accurate and comprehensive data. Explaining that Florida’s robust database allows for the tracking of students from 4th grade to post-graduate activities and linking students to the teachers they have had, Governor Bush voiced his support for rewarding over-performing teachers and intolerance for poor teachers.
Labels: education reform