Governors Skirt Education Issues At Summer Meeting
As the national governors concluded their summer meeting in Philadelphia during this crucial election year, education matters were overshadowed by concerns about rising energy prices and a weakening economy. However, these concerns were intertwined with education at the National Governors Association (NGA) meeting, which attracted around half of the state’s chief executives.
During a session on Sunday, Robert A. Malone, the chairman and president of major oil company BP America, Inc., highlighted the impact of high gas prices on school districts. He mentioned that these prices were leading to budget cuts for transportation costs, resulting in consolidation of bus routes and increased walking distances for students. Mr. Malone encouraged the governors to support more offshore drilling to increase oil production and to back energy companies in their pursuit of alternative energy sources like wind and solar power.
The NGA is also closely monitoring the rising cost of school lunches due to high commodity prices. Joan E. Wodiska, the director of the NGA’s education committee, expressed concerns that the federal program, which covers the cost of meals for children from low-income families, is struggling to keep up with the rising cost of food. She emphasized that this funding gap will soon become a significant issue for state budgets already facing pressure due to the slowing economy.
Despite the celebratory nature of the NGA’s 100th-anniversary meeting, education policy did not receive as much attention as in previous years. Past focus areas have included innovation in education and the workforce, redesigning the American high school, and now addressing energy concerns and improving the nation’s infrastructure.
A discussion on teacher quality, organized by the education committee, was attended by only three out of 14 governors serving on the panel. Governors John Baldacci of Maine, Brad Henry of Oklahoma, and Donald L. Carcieri of Rhode Island engaged experts in the field with questions about the recruitment of the best teachers, the value of national-board teacher certification, and how to generate a sense of urgency among the public regarding the need to improve teaching quality and schools overall. The experts suggested making it easier for top students to become teachers by offering alternative certification routes and revamping teacher-pay structures.
While the lack of time spent on education policy by the governors at their summer meeting aligns with the national trend, education did not escape the attention of former President Bill Clinton. In his address, he encouraged the governors to develop a substantive proposal for changes to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that emphasizes accountability. As the governors largely did not participate in the drafting of NCLB seven years ago, Clinton’s plea carried significant weight.
However, reaching a consensus on the specifics of education reforms may prove challenging, including deciding how school performance should be measured, whether there should be sanctions for schools failing to meet standards, and what form those sanctions ought to take.
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