He's the real thing. He has experimented with conservative innovations, including a voucher-type program in which a few hundred students have been sent to private schools using public funds. But the former dean of education at Texas Southern University is a staunch defender of public schools.
Public education is the greatest social invention of mankind, but it needs fixing.
The Houston Independent School District, the nation's seventh largest, has had a sometimes stormy history. But since Dr. Paige took the helm in 1994, student achievement has improved sharply. Dr. Paige put teachers and principals on performance contracts. He made peace with teacher unions by improving pay and work conditions, and he gave principals more authority over school budgets. There have been troubles.