None of these false steps accomplishes our goal. I say we should keep moving forward, correcting our course when necessary, but never wavering from our common goal of higher standards and excellent education for all. The simple notion that students can achieve more if we ask more of them remains as true as ever. To help them accomplish that, we have the right team in place. And each member of that team has a responsibility - parents, teachers, principals, school board members, business owners and community leaders.
State government is part of that team, too.
Let me discuss my vision of the state's responsibility - a collective responsibility to Alaska's children. First, is the responsibility of adequate resources fairly distributed. That means full funding of the foundation formula, and more. But we know that's not enough. As we raise the bar for performance, we must also raise the resources that allow students to get over that bar.