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June 14, 2011 in Idaho
Jeb Bush: Idaho ed reforms ‘models’ for country
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, center, speaks at a press conference in Boise on Tuesday. At left is Idaho schools Supt. Tom Luna; at right are former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise and Idaho Gov. Butch Otter.
(Full-size photo)
BOISE - Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush today proclaimed Idaho’s school-reform laws requiring online courses and funding them “one of a kind,” and said he thinks they “will be the models for the rest of the country.”
Bush and former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise, who head the Digital Learning Council, came to Boise at their own expense today to address state schools Superintendent Tom Luna’s “Students Come First” technology task force, which is working on a plan to implement the reform laws and their technology requirements. Those include phasing in a plan to have one “mobile computing device” for every Idaho high school student within five years, and to require online classes for high school graduation.
Luna said, “There’s no better example of education reform experts in the country than these two gentlemen.”
Bush, a Republican, who served two terms as governor of Florida ending in 2007, is known for reforms including private-school vouchers, online courses and requiring third-graders to pass reading tests before they move up to fourth grade, ending “social promotion.” Wise, a Democrat, served as West Virginia’s governor from 2001 to 2005, and pushed successful “promise scholarship” legislation that helped thousands of West Virginia high school graduates continue their education; he’s also the chairman of the national board for professional teacher standards.
Bush said he was in Idaho “as an evangelist for digital learning,” and also to commend Luna and Idaho Gov. Butch Otter for pushing through the controversial “Students Come First” reform laws, which he called a “comprehensive suite of reforms that really is as important as any state effort in the last decade.”
The measures remove most collective bargaining rights from teachers; impose a new merit-pay bonus system; and shift funds from teacher and administrator salaries to technology boosts and a new focus on online learning.
They’ve been highly controversial because they come at a time when Idaho is cutting funding for education; the required shifts in funding will mean fewer teachers or big pay cuts. Three referendum measures qualified for the November 2012 ballot yesterday that would overturn the laws.
Bush called digital learning “the tip of the spear” in education reform, but said, “What I learned in Florida was that in order to have rising student achievement happen, more often than not you have to attack this through a comprehensive effort.” He said, “The spear itself is how you reward teachers, particularly in the underserved areas and the underserved subjects, how you bring accountability to the system, how you bring a little bit of dynamic pressure so that student achievement becomes the norm rather than the exception. It requires broad policy changes, and that’s what you did this year.”
Bush also said he thinks Idaho’s move toward digital learning will be “a huge economic development tool,” as educators create “the content that can be exported from Idaho to other places around the country as this digital revolution takes hold.”
He said Florida requires one online course in high school. Idaho’s plan, to have the state Board of Education set a requirement that likely will be much higher, will “put Idaho on the map,” Bush said. “I don’t think any other state has taken this to this step.”
Also unique to Idaho, he said, is the provision of the school reform law that automatically shifts funds from school districts to online course providers if students decide to take online classes. “This is part of the funding formula, so it’s not just an interesting peripheral, it’s front and center, it’s at the core of what education’s about,” Bush said. “That is unique. I don’t think any state’s done that in the country.”
Wise said, “I happen to believe that every child needs a mobile Internet access device.” But, he said, “It needs a strategy behind it.” He praised Idaho’s approach of giving the devices to teachers first, as part of a phased-in program. “That makes a lot of sense,” he said. “It’s the pedagogy of technology that also needs to be a major element. You’re thinking those things through. … Technology is part of the total learning environment now, it’s not just an add-on.”
Bush said results are what will make the reforms succeed. “Implemented right, you’re going to see rising student achievement. It takes away a lot of the opposition,” he said. “You can measure whether they’re successful or not by the actual results.”
Wise said, “What digital education and technology does is permit us to draw the best information and content from wherever we can in the world and make it available. … That’s what’s so exciting.”
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liberal_in_right_wing_land on June 14 at 10:42 a.m.
These horrible reform bills are so bad and so unpopular they have to bring in other republicans from around the country to talk about how crappy these are because NOBODY in Idaho apparently believes what these jokers Luna and Otter are telling them.
I really hope the people of Idaho are smarter than this to be able to fall for this retarded spectacle, but I am not holding out hope since this is the same state that keeps voting in people like Otter and Phil Hart after all.
mikeln on June 14 at 11:13 a.m.
Otter just sold fifty miles of idaho to china so they will have a good spot to start from while buying the rest of our public lands at bargain basement rates, my point being, why would anyone let this traitor have anything to do with the education of thier children. Now jeb bush, a guy that probably couldn’t hold a job at a fast food place, a guy who is where he is at only because of his birth status, is touting these stupid reforms. While I do agree students need to learn computer skills so they can fill the minimum wage jobs that await them, cutting out the teachers is not the way to go about it. Good luck killing these ill-concieved ideas idaho but even if you do they will figure a way around the will of the people and force it on you anyway.
Reality1 on June 14 at 11:24 a.m.
Tom Luna is to be congratulated. These reforms are long overdue and will serve Idaho well. Most Idahoans understand this and will soundly defeat the 2012 referendums.
detroitdude on June 14 at 11:33 a.m.
Feel sorry for the people of Idaho who have to tolerate this. Keep voting Republican!
liberal_in_right_wing_land on June 14 at 11:33 a.m.
Reality1 I guess needs to live in reality. If most people in Idaho support these where where there huge protests against them? Why did they get 30,000 more signatures than what was required to get these referendums on the ballot? I think anyone who actually lives in reality can see these are VERY unpopular with most people in Idaho and these referendums have a very good chance of passing.
MrNatural on June 14 at 11:40 a.m.
Wow…and I thought I loathed war profiteers for exploiting the lives of our men and women…now these corporate crony capitalist sociopaths have devised a way to exploit our education system at the detriment to our nation’s children.
Reality1 on June 14 at 11:51 a.m.
Ballot measures to throw more money at school districts were just soundly defeated. Votes trump signatures. The current reforms are fiscally responsible and enhance the educational process.
oneanddone on June 14 at 11:56 a.m.
Not that it will make one whit of difference in THIS state but I’m done voting republican, or watching FOX for that matter. All these people care about are their business pals and their tax breaks. If they have to destroy public education, let poor kids die from illness, or yank food from the mouths of starving families - they won’t hesitate. If I have to I’ll hold my nose I’ll even vote FOR Obama. One slap in the face too many.
detroitdude on June 14 at 11:59 a.m.
@Reality1: These people DID NOT run on a platform of lobotomizing education. If they had, they would never have been elected.
eagleproducer on June 14 at 1:08 p.m.
Bull Bush!
The nations that are cleaning the U.S.’ clock all have national curriculums.
The last thing we need are fifty different sets of standards, ones that have been influenced by the latest elected right wing whackos, preachers, et.al.
You’ll notice Jeb didn’t have anything to say about No Child Left Behind, the brainchild of his moronic older brother. Get rid of it, the testing, the unfunded mandates and work toward development of a national curriculum that can be measured.
reality: Most people don’t understand the relationship between lethargy while stuffing your pie hole and their morbid obesity. You give the average voter way too much credit. Especially the average Idaho voter.
No need to worry, Idahoans, I hear Chinese companies are looking to outsource some of their work.
detroitdude: Nice pic… who do you have skating the cup around the ice after tomorrow’s game seven in Vancouver.
detroitdude on June 14 at 1:21 p.m.
@Eagle: I think the Bruins are going to win tomorrow and it’s good to see more of the Original Six teams in the finals. I like Vancouver too but Luongo has been inconsistent during the series and has been chased twice.
Diana on June 14 at 2:39 p.m.
Jeb Bush, of all people. Is our children learning?
leekinny on June 14 at 2:50 p.m.
If Idaho doesn’t have it quite right enough, yet, it might be a good idea to consult with Mississippi and Texas.
empyrius on June 14 at 4:22 p.m.
Looking at the picture that accompanies this story is downright scary!
Obviously the Klan forgot their hoods for this meeting . . .
Dazzeetrader11 on June 14 at 5:30 p.m.
It’s what will be necessary. Liberal…do you really think we can afford more of the nonsense? Well…no matter what you think, the halcyion days are long gone.
Unions must be gone. We have some things that need to be done to recover the country. One is riddance of the overpriced unions as in teachers unions.
Luna’s plan isn’t perfect but the way the spending has gone, it’ll be impossible to sustain without cuts. Oh my!! DO you think the families will have to get involved for their childrens education!!????? Yes…….cut the budget and get some home cooperation. CUT the hell out of the budget. It’s the only way to educate the students and maintain the needs ( cut those needs) of the state.
greenlibertarian on June 14 at 7:22 p.m.
Reality1 on June 14 at 11:51 a.m.
Ballot measures to throw more money at school districts were just soundly defeated.
Reality1 is utterly detached from reality, gee, what a surprise, typical ignorance and bloviating.
http://www.ktvb.com/news/Results-for-school-levies-in-Garden-Valley-Twin-Falls-117655703.html
I quite bein surprised when zealots proclaim something demonstrably false to be true, but it is strange, and it usually comes from the right and the teabaggers.
greenlibertarian on June 14 at 8:27 p.m.
Whoa, could have sworn I corrected that. S/B quit being, not “quite bein”
The song remains the same.