Thursday, February 12, 2009

Jindal's plan needs flesh

Governor Bobby Jindal has released a skeletal version of an education agenda, one that could tip either well or poorly, depending on as-yet unreleased details.

It brings to mind the governor's first speech to the Louisiana Federation of Teachers in November of 2007. His soaring rhetoric earned him a standing ovation from solid union members, only to be followed by a 2008 legislative agenda that was anathema to professional educators.

The governor who spoke passionately about public education morphed into one whose legislative agenda consisted of charter schools, merit pay and vouchers to cover private and religious school tuition.

Times-Picayune Reporter Bill Barrow, in this story, stresses the governor's commitment to the expansion of charter schools, an emphasis on "value-added" standardized testing assessments (a concept dealt with in this EdLog post) and improving discipline in our schools.

No teacher will quarrel about a need for better discipline. But the devil, as they say, is in the details. Those are lacking, and judgment must be reserved until the legislation is fleshed out.

No comments: