Accountability
• Transparent, school-based budgeting guided by imput and needs of teachers
• Benchmarks and educational requirements for current teachers
• Ensuring that dedicated and well-performing teachers are compensated with better pay and benefits and are rewarded for their hard work
• Guidelines to encourage objectivity and "open-forum" classrooms
• Implementing NCLB and ensuring AYP through series of performance metrics
• Revising/revamping 4th grade reading assessment
Believer in local control
• Reducing mandates on how certain subjects are taught in favor of local control and letting local boards modify and adjust existing state standards for their own needs
• Requiring each board member to meet regularly with local boards in their district to discuss needs/problems,
• Enabling local boards to have a vote and voice in crafting statewide recruitment, hiring, and retention strategies for teachers and administrators
Competitive edge
• Providing more funding for gifted/accelerated student programs
• Allotting money for national and state science & math competitions
• Encouraging the hiring of teachers from diverse scientific, medical, and engineering fields
• Developing a leadership academy and internship/mentoring program which consists of classroom visits by business and science professionals and a summer conference
• Statewide program to identify accelerated students and assist them in skipping grades/taking courses for college credit while in high school