Editor: Real education reform requires tackling poverty, debt

Gov. Bobby Jindal has yet to spell out the specifics of his new push to reform education in the state, but Business Report Executive Editor JR Ball sees four strategies emerging: 1) expanding school choice options (more charter schools and an expanded voucher program), 2) improving teacher quality (overhauling tenure rules and tougher evaluation standards), 3) giving local educators some type of new flexibility on how dollars are spent in the classroom, and 4) making it easier for voters to impose term limits on school board members. Ball says these are all worthy initiatives to consider for inclusion in the plan for reform, but maintains they’re not enough. “Certainly there are no magic or one-size-fits-all solutions. Equally certain is the offense all of us should take listening to those who continue to support a system that’s been an abysmal failure for more than three decades. That, of course, would be the teachers unions. Frankly, they need to be crushed,” Ball says. “Make no mistake, however; quality education in this state will remain an impossible dream until we get serious about tackling our appalling poverty problem and our escalating unfunded public pension debt liability.” Read the full column here. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.