Instead of the governor's newly formed task force taking more than a year to address Kentucky's failing education system, they could turn in some ideas in the next week or so by adopting the key changes to the status quo contained in the American Solutions' Winning the Future Education Proposal.
- Transparency and accountability about achievement. Uh-oh!
- Parents pick the right school. Uh-oh!
- A ‘no limits’ charter school system. Uh-oh!
- Teacher pay for performance. Uh-oh!
- Open system up to part-time teachers from private sector. Uh-oh!
- Early graduation options. Uh-oh!
With these ideas -- all contained on a single, easy-to-read page -- and a new deadline, Kentucky's new education commissioner Terry Holliday, Ph.D., can get started doing the job he was hired to do -- improve our schools so our students can be prepared to compete in the 21st century global marketplace.
But wait! There is a major elephant in the room that no one wants to acknowledge. Could it be there is a powerful lobbying group that thinks what is in the best interest of students IS NOT in the best interest of its union agenda? It looks like there are some gut-wrenching ‘uh-ohs’ in the way of transforming Kentucky education. Hmmm.
No guts, no glory. Uh-oh!
1 comment:
You are right. These are fundamental changes that could open the door to system change. But no one will have the courage to challenge the union. The union is too organized and can threaten a legislator's election results. It's not about kids. It's about POWER. Kentucky government has proven this year after year.
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