Some say it is unfair to hold disadvantaged children to rigorous standards. Some say that schools can t be expected to teach, because there are too many broken families, too many immigrants, too much diversity. Governor Bush believes that pigment and poverty need not determine performance. That myth is disproved by good schools every day. Excuse-making must end before learning can begin.
Reform also requires a different mindset in politics.
Education is too important to have a strategy of divide and conquer. Unless parents and principals, teachers and academics, Republicans and Democrats can find common purposes, reform will fail. Governor Bush has worked closely with both parties in Texas, because he knows that if we set out to score partisan points, we will never solve problems. If we do not share credit for progress, all of us deserve the blame for failure. During Governor Bush's tenure, Texas has seen great results.