Jeb Bush in EduWatch 2015

On Education: Parental choice in preschool, both public and private

• Preschool: "States that are considering investing in pre-K should learn the four lessons that Florida did:
  1. Give parents choice in preschool, both public and private;
  2. ensure a focus on early literacy;
  3. measure and report on the effectiveness of the programs; and
  4. focus on outcomes, not inputs. With these steps, states can create programs that will show results."
• School choice: "Choice rewards success and weeds out stagnation, inefficiency, and failure. This is why school choice is critical to the education reform movement."
• Raising expectations in education: "Some in the education community complain that every time they achieve the results expected of them, we raise expectations, and school grades drop as a result. That was our goal. We have learned that students and teachers rise to the new challenge, and the school grades go back up because everyone rises to the challenge. This formula is how you drive success in any endeavor."

On Education: Class-size reduction does not improve student achievement

Class size: "Harvard Kennedy School researchers analyzed the impact of the class-size amendment in 2010 and found it did not improve student achievement. Reform is about creating a more efficient, more effective education system that meets the needs of children. The class-size amendment has been a hugely expensive diversion from that goal. For example, we are breaking up kindergarten classes with 19 or 20 kids to reach some artificial threshold that has no bearing on student achievement. We have spent billions of dollars on more buildings and for more teachers with no evidence this policy produced better results."
• Teacher pay: "It's too bad we can't use the money we are wasting on meeting arbitrary numbers and divert it to where it will do more good, such as rewarding our best teachers with the pay they deserve: a reform that actually will produce results."

On Education: Minority achievement gap intolerable morally & economically

On Technology: Redesign education around tech, including Virtual Schools

Education & technology: "The main challenge facing the country is how to redesign education around what technology allows us to do. This is not about tools as much as it is about creating new models of learning. We can personalize learning for every child in a way never before possible with blended learning. We can eliminate seat time and award credit based on mastery. But these won't work by forcing innovation to fit into old models. We need to redesign schools and classrooms to harness these opportunities."
• Course access: "I'm very excited about the possibility of course access policies--the option to take courses in different learning environments from diverse, accountable providers. I envision families picking from a menu of great courses, creating individual education plans for their children. Options could include an AP Calculus course from Florida Virtual School or an online music course from Julliard. Any child in any zip code could access the best courses in the nation."