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Schools

Bush sticks up for his education plans

The governor says he hopes his attempts to make schools more accountable will become his legacy.

By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
Published May 8, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - A day after lawmakers killed two of his key education proposals, Gov. Jeb Bush told reporters that the losses would not stop him from pushing bold school-related initiatives.

During an hour of comments to the national Education Writers Association Saturday, Bush said his plans include making middle school students earn 12 credits before moving to high school.

He also plans to require all students, regardless of grade, who fail the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test to take state-crafted reading classes. And he said the state would try to "demystify" the FCAT by releasing more retired questions, though he rejected the idea of making the full test public as too expensive.

Bush also offered a grudging acknowledgement that the class-size reduction law, put into the constitution by voters, will continue to progress despite his attempts to water it down.

"I think it's ugly. I don't like it, but it's what we have," Bush said, adding that he had not decided whether to try a third time to undo the law.

Bush did not stick to his push for increased teacher salaries, which he had proposed as an alternative use of the money that has been budgeted to shrink class sizes. That initiative, he said, was tied to changing the amendment, which appears more unlikely with each passing year.

Overall, Bush offered a spirited defense of his education program, which includes three voucher programs and a test-based school rating system. He listed a ream of statistics, such as the increasing percentage of black fourth-graders reading at grade level, as proof that his plans are working.

"We're proud of the progress we're making, although it's still a work in progress," Bush said.

The FCAT measures every child in every school, and gives credit for annual gains as well as overall performance, he said. The plan includes "provocative consequences" for nonsuccess, Bush added.

That has led educators to look at school in a different way, and prompted change after a generation of neglect allowed the achievement gap to grow and standards to fall, Bush suggested.

Anyone looking for a quick fix might be disappointed, he said. But Bush said he hoped his move to make schools accountable, using data to drive decisions, would become his legacy. Maybe people don't see it now, Bush said, but eventually "people will recognize we're on the right track."

Some reporters used his own words to challenge him. But Bush did not back down.

At one point, a reporter asked the governor why he did not have any formal way to evaluate whether students who take vouchers to attend private schools are making progress. The reporter noted Bush's comment that what gets measured, gets done.

Bush answered that lawmakers stopped a voucher accountability bill twice in two years, but he would put some of the proposals in place.

The governor also deflected a question about whether the $387-million put into the state's new prekindergarten program really translated into a high-quality focus on the earliest grades. The state had no money in the program a year ago, he said, and the cash infusion would over time lead to fewer third-grade retentions.

Next week, Bush heads to Charlotte County to release this year's third- and 12th-grade retention results, based on their FCAT scores. He said the preliminary results he has seen will show gains. Bush said he also expects to hear within two weeks whether the federal government will let Florida change the way it measures school success in the No Child Left Behind program. Past results have been confusing because they conflict with state school grades, which parents often use to judge a school's success.

If approved, the new formula would take effect this year.

Jeffrey S. Solochek can be reached at 813 269-5304 or solochek@sptimes.com

[Last modified May 8, 2005, 00:45:19]