My vision is to demand no less than excellence from our public schools. Virginians gave us their strong endorsement to move forward on two fronts that will have significant impact as we strive for excellence in education. Voters told us to implement the Standards of Learning and hire 4,000 additional teachers. We are well prepared to move forward. No student should be shortchanged in the instruction required to master the Standards of Learning.
Crowded classrooms test the limits of even our best teachers.
While higher education has become the topic of healthy public debate, global leaders recognize Virginia as home to some of the worlds best colleges and universities. Higher education faces new challenges in the 21st Century because Virginia lacks a formal policy or direction on higher education. We need to chart our course for the future and give direction to our Colleges and Universities. A Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education in Virginia will help us chart that course. Let us advance into the 21st Century united, leaving behind the 20th Century barrier of regionalism.