I just received this press release from the McAuliffe for Governor campaign and thought it was worth passing along:Highlighting the need to attract the employers and jobs we want in the future, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe released the fourth chapter of his Business Plan for Virginia, which focuses on improving Virginia's education system.I look forward to reading the entire chapter, and commend Terry McAuliffe for putting out the most detailed - by FAR - plan for Virginia of any gubernatorial candidate, Democratic or Republican.
"To attract the employers and jobs we want in the future, we need to ensure that Virginia has the best-educated, best-trained, most skilled workforce in the world," McAuliffe said. "Over the past eight years, we've seen steady progress and better results in education. The challenge for the next governor will be to make better use of what we have. That means we have to build more flexibility, more innovation and more creativity into the system."
McAuliffe called for streamlining the process of commercializing research at Virginia's universities to provide extra funding for colleges and allow them to lower tuition costs. McAuliffe said he would ask the newly created Innovation and Entrepreneurship Investment Authority to identify all roadblocks to commercializing research breakthroughs and build partnerships, linking schools and the private sector from the outset of research. With the extra revenue from university research, McAuliffe would require that 50% of it go to lowering the costs of college tuition. McAuliffe also said he would support Virginia's community colleges, which provide a less expensive alternative for the first two years of college and will enable our workforce development initiatives.
"We have excellent two- and four-year institutions that educate our young people, train our workforce and serve as a base for economic spin-offs," McAuliffe said. "Today the issue is access. We have to do better when it comes to making higher education more affordable."
Emphasizing the importance of earning more than a high school degree, McAuliffe said he would ensure that students are prepared to go to college and adapt critical skills. He promoted measures including broadening dual enrollment and expanding the availability of the Early College High School Initiative to give Virginia students a head start. McAuliffe proposed implementing new voluntary assessments that would allow high school juniors who are ready to bypass their senior year and go straight to college. Additionally, to improve outcomes in the classroom, McAuliffe underscored the importance of continuing Governor Kaine's pre-K expansion, as well as providing a state School Readiness Tax Credit for high-quality child care and preschool providers and the families and employers that use them.
Finally, McAuliffe called for offering incentives to attract the best teachers in the nation. McAuliffe said he would raise teacher salaries to the national average and work with teachers to find innovative ways to differentiate compensation. If teachers take on additional responsibilities, they should be rewarded for it.
"The most important component in our education system is the teacher," McAuliffe said. "If we're going to have the best schools, Virginia will have to compete for the best teachers."
P.S. Also, continuing the education theme, Creigh Deeds today is unveiling his "Better Schools, Better Jobs" plan at stops in Richmond and Southside.
UPDATE: Here is a pdf file of Terry's plan. Among other things, it includes a "[s]trong commitment to Pre-K" and aims to "improve affordability through increased student aid programs and a new 'Scholars for Service' program."
