2013 Governor's State of the State speeches: on Education

Rick Scott: Eliminated tenure; with performance pay, give $2,500 raise

Florida's education system is making tremendous progress, due in large part to our great teachers and the work begun by Gov. Bush. Our students and teachers were recently ranked 6th for educational quality; and our 4th-graders scored among the highest in the world on a recent reading evaluation. Accountability is working.

The best way we can build on this progress is to reward our hard-working teachers with a $2,500 pay raise. Some say they are afraid that giving raises to all teachers may mean that a teacher doing a bad job gets rewarded. But, thanks to our work, we are now in a better position than ever before to reward good teachers and move bad teachers out of the classroom. We don't want a war on teachers; we want a war on failure.

Maggie Hassan: $4 million more for scholarships; $35M for state colleges

In exchange, the leadership of both the community college and university systems have assured me they will go to their boards with a plan to freeze tuition for the next two years.

This budget includes $4 million in UNIQUE funds to support need-based scholarships that can be used at both public and private colleges. New Hampshire's young people must be developing the skills, knowledge, and innovative thinking needed in a 21st century economy.

Maggie Hassan: Open new charter schools, & add to existing charter schools

In addition, this budget will help encourage innovation by providing funding to allow new charter schools to open and to allow existing charter schools to accept new enrollees.

At the same time, these charter schools have a responsibility to live within their budget, and so this budget sets new parameters and provides authority for the Department of Education to prioritize new charter school approval to underserved communities.

To help pay for these investments, this budget repeals the voucher tax credit that would have diverted millions of dollars in taxpayer money to private and religious schools with no accountability.

Earl Ray Tomblin: All children should read by the end of the 3rd grade

1. Ensure every new elementary teacher is specially trained in reading
2. Require every county, within 3 years, to offer full-day 4-year-old preschool
3. Establish a process for defining the components and costs of a quality "birth through 5 program".
4. And finally, I propose a supplemental appropriation of $17 million to preserve the current childcare subsidies; to not only assure quality early childhood development, but to help parents keep their jobs.

Mark Dayton: Education begins early in life, & continues throughout life

We know that our exceptional citizens, who are more inventive, harder working, and more productive than people anywhere, have been the most important contributors to our state's economic progress and social vitality. Most of us agree that our citizens' superior educations have been crucial to our previous successes.

And many of us agree that providing all Minnesotans with the best, most advanced, and yet affordable educational opportunities will be even more essential to their future success, and thus to ours.

Mark Dayton: Restore $240M for higher ed, but still lowest since 1981

I'll say it again. Since FY80-81, real state spending for all of postsecondary education has been higher than it is today. My budget would add $240 million in higher ed. funding for the next biennium. That counts as spending increase, which, technically, it is. However, it falls over $100 million short of restoring the funding cut from FY10/11; and it still leaves state support for higher education hundreds of million dollars below the real levels 30 years ago.

Steve Beshear: We made cuts to survive; now let's assess damage

• We froze funding in our K-12 classrooms, despite rising costs.
• We eliminated funding for textbooks, going from $21.7 million in 2008 to zero. Instead of taking books home to study, students often must leave them for the next class.
• We cut school safety funding by 60% at a time in which we must be more vigilant, not less.
• We cut funding to our universities--causing tuition to go up an average of 4% a year at our community and technical schools and nearly 7% a year at our largest 4-year universities.
• At the same time, we reduced aid to needy students. In fact, we were forced to slam the door in the faces of some 73,000 would-be students--in just one year--who came to us asking for help to go to college.

Steve Beshear: Reinvest in SEEK: Support Education Excellence in Kentucky

• It will take up to $300 million a year to fully fund the ARC for the Kentucky Retirement System.
• Fully funding SEEK--the basic formula for classroom instruction--will also take substantial new revenues. We have protected SEEK from cuts.From 2008 to 2014, it grew zero percent--in a time when enrollment was growing, maintenance and other costs were increasing, and local support in some areas was dropping. Our schools aren't treading water. They are slowly sinking. If we had maintained that [previous average] 3.4% a year growth for SEEK, we would be spending right now an additional $550 million on classroom instruction.
• It will take $75.8 million to restore cuts made since 2008 to textbooks, ongoing teacher training, school safety, technology, and programs like after-school and tutoring that prevent drop-outs by helping struggling students catch up.

Tom Corbett: We have moved beyond the age of the blackboard

Tom Corbett: $6.4 million dollars for Pre-K Counts and the Head Start

Why do we want to spend more on these programs? Because every child in Pennsylvania deserves an equal start in life, and I intend to see that promise kept. As we lay this foundation, we must also continue to expand funding for K-through-12 education. This budget adds nearly $100 million dollars to be distributed to our school districts. That is over and above last year's record funding levels. Our commitment allows schools to plan their budgets for the coming year and make the best use of their resources. Their commitment should allow students and their families to plan their own budgets.

Gary Herbert: Increase funding for applied technology colleges

Education is the largest and most important investment Utah makes. While we recognize that money isn't everything, we should still take note--that while so many states face shrinking budgets and bleak forecasts, Utah has the means, the vision, and the commitment to rank education as its top priority. The proof of that investment is unmistakable. The national average Advanced Placement test score is 2.84. Utah's is 3.1. More than 27,000 students prepare for college through concurrent enrollment, and compared to other states with a high percentage of students taking the ACT, Utah ranks second in our test scores.

Gary Herbert: Fervently committed $40M to STEM education

Steve Bullock: Invest in higher ed for 21st Century workforce, like Diesel

The Missoula College was built in 1956 for 700 students and now has an enrollment approaching 3,000. Last week I visited the Automotive and Diesel Program at Havre. It has 200 students, a 100% placement rate, and some graduates earn a starting salary better than a Governor. But without our investment, this program cannot grow.

And it's not just Missoula and Havre; many of our facilities are outdated and operating beyond their capacity. The young Montanans who are willing to invest in higher education deserve better. That's why [the state government]--along with the Montana Chamber of Commerce, the Montana Contractors Association and others--have joined together to propose record investments in our educational facilities.

Steve Bullock: Increase from 40% to 60% those with some college

• Offering college classes to more high school students will help them recognize that higher education is within their reach and will give them a jump start on earning college credits.
• We can make it easier for students by creating a universal enrollment system, so students at Miles Community College have access to courses at Montana State University.
• We aren't going to produce more college graduates if the cost of college is beyond the reach of Montana families. When tuition increases because higher education isn't adequately funded, that's a tax on tens of thousands of working families across our state. My budget includes an agreement to freeze tuition across the university system. I urge you to honor it.

Steve Bullock: MT is dead last in investment in early childhood education

We can't expect the federally funded Head Start program to carry the entire burden. Some local communities have stepped in to make sure these youngsters are given a better chance.

As a first step, I urge this body to expand the proven "Stars to Quality Program" and make the long overdue investment in school readiness. I've laid out a plan that will create 100 more high-quality early childhood programs, getting 600 more families and 1,000 more children ready for school, annually. It's a proven high-return investment that will produce long-lived benefits for the students and our economy. And our commitment and investment must continue throughout their schooling.

Bill Haslam: Drive to 55: Increase college graduation to 55% by 2025

Only 32% of Tennesseans have earned an associates' degree or higher. That's not good enough. Our goal is to move the needle so that Tennessee is on track to raise that number to 55% by 2025. Tonight we begin our "drive to 55"--a strategic initiative to have the best trained workforce in America. To do that, we must improve affordability and access in higher education. To help us achieve this goal, we're partnering with Western Governors University to establish "WGU Tennessee." It is an online, competency-based university that is geared to the 800,000 adult Tennesseans that have some college credit but didn't graduate with an associate or four-year degree.

Jay Nixon: Increase education funding by $150 million

• That's $17 million more for early childhood education.
• That's $34 million more for higher education;
• And that's $100 million more for our K-12 classrooms

Jay Nixon: A+ scholarships: community college for every high schooler

To qualify for an A+ scholarship, high school students must keep their grades up, have excellent attendance, and stay out of trouble.Since I've been Governor, we've expanded the A+ program to 150 more schools. But there are still schools that aren't part of the A+ program, so their students can't even apply for A+ scholarships.

That's unfair to these kids, and we're going to fix it. This is the year we will expand our A+ scholarship program to every public high school in the state, so that every qualified student in this state has the opportunity to go to community college--tuition free.

Jerry Brown: Consider subsidiarity: central authority only if local fails

This year, as you consider new education laws, I ask you to consider the principle of Subsidiarity. Subsidiarity is the idea that a central authority should only perform those tasks which cannot be performed at a more immediate or local level. In other words, higher or more remote levels of government, like the state, should render assistance to local school districts, but always respect their primary jurisdiction and the dignity and freedom of teachers and students.

Subsidiarity is offended when distant authorities prescribe in minute detail what is taught, how it is taught and how it is to be measured. I would prefer to trust our teachers who are in the classroom each day, doing the real work--lighting fires in young minds.

Phil Bryant: Privately funded Opportunity Scholarship for failing schools

We should also have a workable charter school act that provides choices for parents. More than 40 other states have this option. Shouldn't we allow such opportunities for our own children? I applaud the Senate and the House for their efforts on this important issue. When a good charter school bill reaches my desk, I intend to sign it.

Phil Bryant: $15M for literacy; and merit pay for teachers

I have also discussed pay for performance, or merit pay, for our teachers. I believe we should reward our most effective teachers by compensation. Let me be clear, no teacher will lose any salary.

In addition to keeping and rewarding great classroom teachers, we must raise the bar for new teachers. The bill I submitted raises the entrance standard for education programs. Under this act, a student must have a 21 ACT score and a minimum GPA of 3.0 to become a teacher. Why would we want anything less for our students?

Jack Markell: Common Core Standards including world language immersion

Thanks to another investment, 10,000 Delaware students will participate in a world language immersion program over the next decade. 340 students started the program this year. For example, at McIlvane Early Learning Center in Magnolia, 100 kindergartners spend half their school day learning science, social studies and math in Chinese. One of the Chinese teachers there had a goal for her students to be able to count to 100 by the end of the school year; they accomplished that by November.

Brian Sandoval: Business tax credit for opportunity scholarship contribution

I will introduce an opportunity scholarship bill giving businesses a tax credit for making contributions to a scholarship fund. These dollars will be distributed, on a means-tested basis, to students at low-performing schools for use in attending the school of their choice.

Brian Sandoval: $20M so every Nevada child can read by Grade Three

For pre-Three students, I will propose increased funding for early education in the state's most at risk schools. My budget therefore includes an aggressive expansion of all-day kindergarten among the state's most at-risk schools.

Twenty million dollars is allocated over the biennium for this purpose. This means that by 2015, almost half of our elementary schools would have an all-day kindergarten option. If we expect children to read by Three, we cannot continue to ignore all of the data that tells us all-day kindergarten is a critical foundation for a child's success.

Brian Sandoval: Proposes JAG specialists: Jobs for America's Graduates

I am also asking that Nevada make a firm commitment to another national program with proven results. In the last year, I used available funding to pilot the Jobs for America's Graduates initiative in seven Nevada schools. JAG helps prevent dropouts by putting a specialist in the school to work with the most at-risk students. The work continues even after the students graduate, and transitions students from high school to college or a career. It works in over 30 states and it has worked here.

Deval Patrick: Invest in education, innovation, infrastructure

We invest in education, in innovation, and in infrastructure.
• We invest in education because well-prepared young minds and mid-career talent is our global calling card and our economic edge.
• We invest in innovation because, with a workforce like ours, enabling and encouraging new ideas is the best way to take advantage of the knowledge explosion happening in the world economy today.
• We invest in infrastructure because rebuilding our roads, rails, bridges, expanding broadband to every community, building new classrooms and labs and more affordable housing gives private initiative and personal ambition the platform for growth.

Dave Heineman: Increasing state aid to education from $852M to $939M

In 2008, I signed into law LB 1157 that provides for statewide assessments in reading, writing, math and science. Thanks to that legislation, more than ever before the focus of our school districts is now on academic achievement. We can be very proud that Nebraska's high school graduation rate is 86%--the 4th best in America. We have good schools, and they want to be even better in the future.

My proposed budget continues to make K-12 education a priority by increasing state aid to education from $852 million to $895 million in fiscal year 2014 and to $939 million in fiscal year 2015. Additionally, I am proposing a 5 percent increase in special education funding in each of the next two years.

Dave Heineman: Two-year tuition freeze for State colleges via more funding

Scott Walker: UW FlexOption: family-friendly flexible degree program

I can relate. During my senior year at Marquette University, I was offered a full-time job at the American Red Cross. I thought I would squeeze in a course here or there and finish things off in a year or two, but then Tonette and I got married. Then we had Matt. And then came Alex.

Next thing you know, you're putting all your extra time and money into your kids. The UW FlexOption will provide a less time-consuming, less costly way to finish off a degree. It will help prepare more people to fill the critical needs we have in the workforce.

Susana Martinez: The Bridge: joint high school diploma and associate's degree

Let me tell you about a program called the Bridge. The Bridge program was created in response to the gaps that existed between the needs of a 21st century economy and the preparedness of high school graduates in Dona Ana County. It's a partnership between the local business community, their community college, and their public schools. Together, they established the state's first early college high school. Every student who will graduate from this school not only earns a high school diploma, but they also earn an associate's degree and, in some cases, a work-ready certificate. That student is ready to be hired.

Since the Bridge Program has been operating, not one student has dropped out. This session, I'm pursuing a plan to take what the Bridge has accomplished in Dona Ana County and bring it to other areas of New Mexico.

Susana Martinez: $13.5M for New Mexico Reads to Lead

Our focus is on struggling schools--on offering a hand-up to those who need help. That's why I'm proposing $4.7 million in school turnaround programs to close the gap between high-performing schools and schools that are struggling.

I want school districts to know and I want parents to know that I have heard their calls for more math and science teachers in New Mexico schools, particularly in low-income areas. We have an exciting initiative to dedicate $2 million to recruit more math and science teachers, to move scientists and engineers to the classroom and to entice college graduates through loan forgiveness programs.

Jan Brewer: Performance-based funding plan, instead of attendance-based

And that brings us to school funding. Whatever your point of view, we should all agree that it's time we start funding the academic results we want to see. What I am proposing is the nation's first comprehensive performance funding plan for our districts and charter schools. This plan will reward schools that earn high marks or see real improvement in performance. I'm not talking about scrapping attendance-based funding formulas. Rather, this will augment that system with an innovative approach to promoting school performance, while maintaining local control. Together, let's stop simply funding the system we have and start funding the student achievement we want.

Peter Shumlin: Dual enrollment for high school students to state college

The first is dual enrollment. Over the past five years, state funding has provided limited access to Vermont high school Dual enrollment for high school students to state college the money follows the student and all Vermont students have access to this important program.

Let's also authorize an early college initiative aimed at expanding the number of students who simultaneously complete their senior year of high school with

Andrew Cuomo: Tie 4% funding increase to teacher evaluation system

Bob McDonnell: Top Jobs for the 21st Century: STEM-H degrees

We have increased the percentage of K-12 funding going into the classroom from 62% to 64%. Graduation rates are up.

Bob McDonnell: Zero tolerance policy for failing schools

We now equip low performing schools with turnaround specialists and additional resources from the Zero tolerance policy for failing schools Institution to provide a high quality education alternative for children attending any chronically underperforming public elementary or secondary school. The Opportunity Educational Institution will be a new statewide school division to turnaround

Chris Christie: Combine $8.9B in more funding with needed reform

• Ensuring accountability by passing the first major reform of tenure in 100 years;
• Establishing performance-based pay in Newark through hard-nosed collective bargaining;
• Implementing inter-district school choice, which has tripled its enrollment in the last 3 years and will grow to 6,000 students next year;
• Growing the number of charter schools to a record 86 in NJ;
• Signing the Urban Hope Act to turn failing schools into Renaissance Schools in Newark, Trenton, and Camden;

Butch Otter: No major school improvement measures, just progress

Let me say it again: I am neither calling for nor expecting major school improvement measures this year. But I believe there are areas in which we can make progress, and I encourage you and all citizens to engage in that public discussion. It's our very best chance to strengthen the foundation of our future.