As a teacher in public education I support any plan that puts more money in the classroom, because that is what is going to benefit our kids the most.

Stay focused Bob! Just stick with the issues and try not to let this mess surrounding your thesis that you wrote two decades ago get to you. Deeds only knows how to copy people’s policies, so don’t be surprised if he comes out with a similar proposal.

Details, details, details. How will you ensure that the money makes it past the administrators to the classroom? What will this additional money be spent on? How will that improve test scores? How will you be sure that this additional money goes only to the best teachers and not the worst? If more moeny if given to classrooms what will it be spent on? Who will decide how to spend it? If schools buy all new desks, will kids get a better education? If every classroom gets a new computer will student test scores actually go up as a result?

It’s good that this plan does not raise taxes and it steers money in a better direction, but what’s needed is not more money in the classroom, but more discipline, more accountability, more choice, more competition, and more parental involvement in the classroom.