Click to Enlarge

Governors have the ability to garner the attention of the citizens of the state through the use of the “bully pulpit” that is accorded the governor’s status as the political leader of the state. If the governor is committed to educational improvement and demonstrates through policy and legislative recommendations that commitment, then there is a greater chance that others will give serious attention to what is being proposed.

Also critical to the success of education reform efforts is the willingness of the governor to request sufficient dollars in the budget proposal to support the reform initiatives that have been proposed and to lobby the legislature to appropriate the dollars that have been
requested.

Standing strongly behind challenging academic content standards and the type of accountability measures outlined above for schools, principals, teachers, and school districts is only the first step.

The governor must also forge a working relationship with the State Board of Education and legislature if his/her ideas are to become reality and not just remain as rhetoric.

- next -

- Model Home -