Luther Strange

This op-ed was recently published in the Montgomery Advertiser under the banner "Old Politics Must Go."

State Needs Real Education Reform
By Luther Strange

The powerful lobbyist and union boss, Paul Hubbert, recently unleashed a personal attack on me, my law firm, and my clients (who provide jobs to thousands of Alabamians), in an op-ed piece appearing in the Montgomery Advertiser. His attack was in response to my editorial in the same paper calling for the repeal of the regressive tax Alabama imposes on food and over-the-counter medicines, a position that Hubbert himself has endorsed.

His attack serves as a textbook example of why so many of our citizens choose to stay out of politics, for fear of similar smear tactics. I will not be intimidated by this bullying tactic, nor will I resort to personal attacks myself. I couldn't be prouder to be an Alabama success story, and I make no apologies for it. My parents, both teachers, taught me how fortunate we are to live in a country that says if you work hard, anything is possible. This should be the dream of every Alabama child. No matter the circumstances in which a child is born, through hard work and a good education, there is literally no limit to their potential. Education turns dreams into realities.

But unfortunately for our children, Hubbert has a stranglehold on education reform, and he has created a system that discourages children from reaching for the stars. He controls vast political resources, and his union no longer represents teachers and children. Instead, his union has come to represent the Democratic Party. Hubbert's interests do not align with the interests of children and teachers.

For years, Hubbert has insisted that money is the answer to all problems. He contends that simply throwing more money at his bureaucracy is the solution. However, common sense and experience tell us that real reform requires accountability, performance measurement, and making those measurements relevant. We must fund our schools well, but more importantly, we must press ahead with reform.

In contrast to the union's contention, there is not a direct correlation between funding and the success of schools. For example, in a study published by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, even though Alabama spent more per pupil than did North Carolina, Alabama received an "F" in its "return on education investment", while North Carolina received an "A". The Washington, D.C. school system illustrates an even more telling example. Per pupil spending in D.C. is among the highest in the nation, and it is actually one of the most expensive school systems in the world. Yet, D.C schools are continually among the worst in terms academic achievement. In other words, the money is there, but the results are not.

We must create high expectations, and raise the bar for our schools, teachers, and students. I truly believe that every child can learn, no matter his or her background or circumstances. This cannot be a debatable issue. Children need our results, not Hubbert's excuses.

But high standards do not mean anything if we do not measure the results, and make those results meaningful. As former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has said, if you don't measure, you don't care. Schools that are performing well should be recognized and rewarded. In contrast, we must hold under-performing schools accountable, and give them the resources they need to change course, while at the same time demanding improvement.

Our teachers' salaries should be competitive with the salaries of teachers in other states. However, I also believe that we should provide teachers with an opportunity to excel.

During the last legislative session, Governor Riley proposed a performance bonus plan that would have accomplished this goal. Several former state Teacher of the Year recipients attended Governor Riley's press conference announcing the performance bonus program, in order to show their support for the plan. Yet, Hubbert and the AEA are generally opposed to such plans, favoring instead increased salaries for all teachers. Other professions prove that competition and incentive breed excellence, and we should follow the lead of these other professions. The union boss not only opposes rewarding outstanding teachers, he also prefers to keep incompetent teachers in the classroom (as long as they belong to the AEA), through teacher tenure. I think this is an insult to Alabama's educators. As I have said before, imagine how much more effective our public school teachers could be if we allowed them to work in a system that encouraged and rewarded performance and accountability. Hardworking teachers do not need tenure.

Hubbert has maintained the status quo for far too long. Recently, he fiercely fought to maintain the "double-dipping" system in our two-year college system. He was driven by one thing: power. The double-dipping system was one of the ways in which Hubbert has been able to control the Legislature, and public policy, for decades. He has shown no restraint in his quest to keep the system as is. One of Hubbert's lieutenants went so far as to compare Chancellor Byrne's leadership style to Hitler's. Chancellor Byrne, under the leadership of Governor Riley, has been a reformer, and the attack on his character was despicable. It is yet another example of the union boss's politics of personal destruction.

Rather than resorting to personal attacks and insisting on taxing children's groceries and senior citizens' medicine, as Hubbert suggested, we must be willing to roll up our sleeves and continue the hard work of reforming Alabama's education system, which Governor Riley has already begun. There is no time for Hubbert's old brand of politics, in which he attempts to intimidate through personal attacks. Our children need reform in the education system now.