[StBernard] Wall Street Journal: Jindal's Education Moon Shot

[Westley Annis]

Jindal's Education Moon Shot


Wall Street Journal
Editorial
1/31/12

".Jindal wants to create America's largest school voucher program, broadest
parental choice system, and toughest teacher accountability regime-all in
one legislative session. Any one of those would be a big win, but all three
could make the state the first to effectively dismantle a public education
monopoly.

Louisiana is already one of 12 states . that offer school vouchers, but its
program benefits fewer than 2,000 students. Governor Jindal would extend
eligibility to any low-income student whose school gets a C, D or F grade .
That's almost 400,000 students . who could escape failing schools for
private or virtual schools, career-based programs or institutions of higher
education.

Post-Katrina New Orleans is already the nation's leading charter-school
zone, with 80% of city students enrolled, academic performance improving
dramatically, and plans to go all-charter by 2013. To spread the model
statewide, the Governor would create new regional boards for authorizing
charters and offer fast-track authorization to high-performing operators .

As for tenure, Mr. Jindal would grant it only to teachers who are rated
'highly effective' five years in a row, meaning the top 10% of performers.
And tenure wouldn't equal lifetime protection: A tenured teacher who rates
in the bottom 10% ('ineffective') in any year would return to probationary
status.

Louisiana used to be one of America's most ill-governed states, but Mr.
Jindal pushed major economic and ethics reforms in his first term and is now
starting his second with his education moon shot. It would be one giant leap
for Louisiana students."

Read more in the Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204652904577190983319125916.ht
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