Gubernatorial hopefuls promise K-12 education reforms

Both Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell say they will reform education if they're elected governor. Each favors raising teacher salaries, finding private partners to enhance instruction in schools, expanding the number of charter schools, putting more focus on math and science, and routing more money to instruction.

Where they differ is in how to accomplish - and fund - those priorities.

McDonnell, the Republican candidate, believes that shifting some money from administration to the classroom will improve student performance and yield the roughly $200 million annually he says is needed to cover the state's share of a teacher pay raise.

"I have a plan to pay for it. And the plan is pretty simple. And that is, money to the classroom is much better spent than money in administration," said McDonnell, who has accused Deeds of mimicking some of his education proposals.

As a delegate, McDonnell sponsored only a few bills related to education. One attempted to require students to read an out-of-date citizens handbook.

Deeds, the Democrat, has consistently supported boosting educators' salaries - he pushed for funding as recently as 2008 - but he is less clear about how he'd pay for it. He's been endorsed by the Virginia Education Association, a powerful lobby that tends to back Democrats.

If the campaign rhetoric is one measure of where a candidate's focus lies, then a key prong of McDonnell's election argument is the economy, while Deeds has positioned himself as the education advocate.

Deeds has noted that McDonnell voted against some increases in education spending.

"Education's never been a priority for him. I don't think the guy has any credibility on the issue of education and the issue of teacher salary," Deeds said.

Deeds has bristled at a GOP-funded ad attacking him as a big spender for state budget amendments he submitted in 2008, including one for more than $870 million over two years to help raise teacher pay. Virginians can't expect excellence if they aren't even willing to pay for average, he said.

The contrast between the men's ideas on teacher pay is a glimpse into the larger philosophical divisions separating their political parties, according to one education expert.

"Democrats usually talk about improving public schools. Republicans want a more private enterprise model," said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy in Washington. The group is an independent advocate for public education, funded by charities such as the Gates Foundation.

While McDonnell and Deeds agree on the need for public-private partnerships, charter schools and higher teacher pay, the similarities end there.

McDonnell is proposing what's known as the "65 percent solution" - moving money from the central office and administration to the classroom, so that instructional spending comes to make up 65 percent of all education spending. He estimates it now makes up 61 percent.

The idea, popular with some conservative groups, "is basically a rhetorical gimmick," said Andrew Rotherham, a member of the Virginia Board of Education from 2005 to 2009 and co-founder of Education Sector, an independent think tank in Washington.

"It becomes very difficult to define what is an instructional activity and what isn't," he added.

For example, reading resource teachers and guidance counselors don't fall easily into a category.

McDonnell has said the change, at a pace of 1 percent a year over 4 years, could save $480 million and pay for increased teacher salaries. It's not clear whether he can compel local school divisions to follow that ratio with their spending.

Compounding the policy difference are the complexities of education funding and the realities of an economy that has prompted billions in cuts to Virginia's budget.

State funding for schools is based on a complicated formula, and that formula has been the focus of some dispute during General Assembly budget-writing discussions.

Key funding sources are state tax revenues, lottery proceeds, federal aid and local matching money. How much localities pay is partly determined by a formula that measures community wealth.

Deeds has proposed having more school divisions sign up for state efficiency audits. That could produce $300 million in savings to be spent on classroom s and teacher salaries, he said.

McDonnell says savings can be found through technology. His proposals include increased use of online or electronic textbooks and virtual schools that allow students to pace themselves.

Part of Deeds' plan is to build on Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's early childhood initiative. Deeds said he wants to expand the number in the program by 20,000 over four years by enrolling more 4-year-olds from low-income families. He said that can be done through public-private partnerships.

"There's not a more important investment we can make other than to get children ready for school," he said.

McDonnell has expressed support for public and private programs to improve early reading skills, especially for at-risk children, but has not specified whether pre-kindergarten programs should be expanded.

Both men say they want to increase the number of charter schools in the state, currently at four.

Deeds said he prefers keeping the approval process in the hands of local school boards, a method experts say keeps charter school numbers low.

McDonnell supports changing the law to allow alternative approval methods for applications that have been denied and for those in districts where schools are not fully accredited.

He has also supported establishing income tax credits for instructional fees, private school tuition and home schooling costs.

The candidates each support a version of performance pay for teachers.

Deeds says the best students should be given incentives to go into teaching, particularly in high-needs areas.

McDonnell says teachers should be paid based on their performance.

"Almost all of the private sector uses a form of the concept," McDonnell said. "It's fundamentally good management."

Jennings, of the Center on Education Policy, said there have been "few completely successful experiments" with performance pay. They tend to peter out or create resentment between teachers.

"It's the culture of teaching," Jennings said. But there is still ground to explore with performance pay, he added.

Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com