Holden’s “Unprecedented” Education Plan

More Of The Same Old, Same Old

By Chip Taylor

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A week before Christmas, Governor Bob Holden unveiled his latest scheme for improving the dismal performance of the state’s government-run schools. He said that it is an “unprecedented approach,” one that will “catapult” our schools ahead of those in other states.

So what is his grand plan?

Is it an education voucher or tax credit program, some plan to allow parents a choice of schools for their children and increase competition for the government-run schools? No.

Is it an expansion of the charter schools program? No.

Not surprisingly, once you get past the hype there is little that is really new about Holden’s plan. Here it is in a nutshell:

Under Holden’s plan, unaccredited and provisionally accredited school districts, districts with at least one academically deficient school, and schools in otherwise satisfactory districts that fail to meet one or more specific performance standards would be identified as “Priority Districts” and “Priority Schools.”

To continue to receive state funding, these districts and schools would be required to take certain actions. The schools would be required to submit “Accountability Compliance Statements” which identify their deficiencies and describe their plans for improvement. The teachers and principals at the schools would be required to submit to standardized tests of their knowledge and skills to demonstrate their ability to provide a “quality education.” Students who do poorly on standardized tests would be retested until they “show improvement.”

That’s it. That’s the whole shebang. The only thing even remotely unprecedented is the potential for teacher testing. And that is remarkable only because a Democratic governor, long in the back pocket of the teachers’ union, proposes it.

According to Holden this plan will provide accountability in education. If by “accountability” he means mounds of additional paperwork, then, sure, it will provide accountability – by the ton.

If by accountability he means a mechanism to ensure improvement, well, sorry, there seems to be no requirement that the schools actually improve.

Of course, the fact that a politician from one of the other parties is promoting another worthless program is hardly news. But this may provide Libertarians with an opportunity. During this year's legislative session, the governor’s proposal will probably receive a lot of media attention. Libertarians, whether writing a letter to the editor of their local newspaper or out on the campaign trail themselves, can use this as an opportunity to present free-market solutions as superior alternatives to other politicians’ mere tinkering with the government-run school system.