However, Fine said the report does not recommend a corporate-style streamlining of of the public school system. The first priority, according to Fine, is to push accountability down to the school or school cluster level. Christopher Perry, owner of a Wilmington public relations and agency and a co-author of the report, also suggested that the business community has to be careful to build consensus, rather than attempting to push through its agenda. Based on the experience of other states, reform efforts that were led by business sometimes can trigger a backlash from other segments of the community. Perry also stressed that Delaware is not alone in dealing with the issue of accountability.
Most states are in the same boat, with the possible exception of Maryland and Kentucky.
Those states have been leaders in the two areas. The council did work to includes all segments of education in the process of drawing up the report. A committee, made up of educators and the business community endorsed the findings, although Wood said it would be incorrect that there was unanimous agreement on all points. Council members reviewed the findings and recommendations in the report presented last month and participated in a follow-up survey. The questionnaire was designed to determine their level of agreement with specific findings and recommendations in the study.