Mike Thomas...Round 2 (sort of)

Some of you may remember that I took umbrage at an 10/29/09 Mike Thomas column in the Orlando Sentinel.  Well, it turns out that today is Round 2, as Mr. Thomas has written a very provocative column on the potential retooling of Florida's education system by the State Legislature (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-mike-thomas-education-reform-030710-20100306,0,2024470.column).  The only problem with Mike's column is...he's right.

The types of reforms being bandied about in the halls of Tallahassee are long overdue.  In fact, many of these reforms have already seen successful implementations in progressive school systems around the nation, catching the eye of the Obama administration along the way.  As Mr. Thomas correctly points out, the momemtum (and logic) behind these changes is overwhelming.

Now, here's the rub - as Mr. Thomas hints in his column, these reforms are not without significant cost.  If we are going to hold our educators up to the scrutiny of constant performance measurement, we must be prepared to pay them for their good performance (just as we must be willing to let go of those who are poor performers).  We must also be willing to provide them with the resources necessary to perform their duties; no more teachers scrounging for paper, no more teachers buying supplies on their own dime, etc.  In the same way that an investment banker (another pay-for-performance profession) would never be without a computer and the resources required to transact deals, so must we equip our teachers.  After all, in a knowledge-based economy, is there a more important profession than educator?

I'm not convinced that the Florida Legislature fully grasps the costs of passing these reforms; in the past, their track record on funding education has been spotty, at best.  It could be that they have no intention of fully-funding education in Florida.  If so, these reforms will serve to further emaciate our publc education system as good teachers flee the state for environments where they are given the resources needed to affect positive student performance.

Time will only tell if these contemplated reforms will be paired with the necessary financial resources to redefine public education in Florida.  Until then, I stand with Mr. Thomas on commending the Legislature for pushing to improve Florida's education system.  Nice column, Mike.