The Tenuous State of Education Reform

Here in Florida, education reform has a been particularly hot topic of debate in recent weeks.

That's due in part to Senate Bill 6, the highly-contested piece of legislation that would link teacher pay to student performance. After passing by a 4 vote margin (with all 13 Democrats in the Senate and four Republicans voting against it), the bill was promptly vetoed by Florida's governor, Charlie Crist.

While the veto was met with sighs of relief from educators across the state, others are lamenting the decision, saying the bill would have led to more accountability in our schools. An editorial in today's Chicago Times concludes that Crist's highly politicized move ultimately left Florida's students with the short end of the stick.

If nothing else, Florida's tenuous state of education reform will hopefully invite more insightful analysis on how to improve the quality of education in this country.

What are your thoughts?