Jeb Bush: Five Rules for School Reform

The Wall Street Journal ^ | January 30, 2006 | JEB BUSH

[Great Communicator]

For the last seven years as governor of Florida, I've worked with thousands of educators, policymakers, parents and students to reform public education in our state. The reality of reform is vastly different from the theory, and change is a lot harder than it looks. But there are a few rules, you might say, for real reform that make it possible.

• The first rule is that when you run for office, you need to say what you're going to do and then do what you said you would. Candidates who aren't willing to take political risks won't take the policy risks required to drive real change.

By taking a stand during our campaign, my running mate and I gave voters a chance to examine and debate our plan to transform Florida schools. As a result, our election came with a mandate to implement a comprehensive education reform based on high standards and expectations, clear measurement and accountability, and rewards and consequences for results.

• The second rule of reform is that if you don't measure, you don't care. You have to be willing to measure the outcome of reform and to let the world know what the real results are -- the ones you're proud of and the ones that show more work is needed.

Today, 53% of Florida students are reading at or above grade level, up from 46% in 2001. That's 161,000 more students with this critical skill. Our graduation rate is up from 60% to 72%, our drop-out rate is down by half, and our students are making greater learning gains than their national counterparts. The biggest gains are being made by our minority students as they close the achievement gap more each year.

• The third rule is that big reforms require long-term commitment. We've

[summer]

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