Sceptical on School Plan

Call me a sceptic on the governor's school plan. Sun Times story here. On the face of it I like the idea of merit pay (which the teachers' unions oppose) and of funding underperforming schools according to NCLB, but unless you have an opt out component for children in failing schools to go to a charter or private school, you have no competitive pressure for long-term improvement of the schools. Competition alone can achieve much without added spending.

The good news is that the governor is considering privatization---the bad news is that he is not considering privatizing the public schools.

I am also very sceptical of relying on lottery proceeds which are only a short term funding fix. The state's financial position is very shaky and for example, teachers' pensions are being underfunded. Governor Blagojevich needs to streamline state spending and put the state's finances on a sound footing, not embark on new promises. And the Tribune makes a good point that if this is such a good idea, why was it not brought up in this last legislative session?

The Governor has some explaining to do.