State superintendents unveil education reform efforts

Education leaders from across the state showed a unified front Thursday as they rolled out aggressive reform to revamp public K-12 education in Virginia.

The Virginia Association of School Superintendents unveiled its Blueprint for the Future of Public Education to the State Board of Education.

The plan, supported by all 133 superintendents in Virginia, is grounded in five strategic areas — curriculum/readiness, assessment, instructional delivery, human capital and the state's role in funding public education.

The goal is to ensure that all Virginia students are career and college ready when they graduate from high school.

Among the plan's recommendations is the use of a variety of assessments that extend beyond standardized tests to measure student progress, holding teachers accountable for student performance and rewarding educators for high student achievement.

"We know what works, we know what doesn't work, and we know what we need in resources and flexibility to get the job done," said Albermarle County Superintendent Pamela R. Moran, president of the superintendents association.

State Board of Education members generally applauded the superintendents for their effort to create the blueprint and encouraged more dialogue with stakeholders and state leaders.

Some also noted shortcomings in the plan.

Board member K. Rob Krupicka expressed surprise that the plan did not address preschool.

"I think all of you know that the evidence shows good, early interventions before the age of 5 have a bigger impact on pretty much everything else that happens in a child's academic career than almost anything else you can do," he said.

Angela A. Ciolfi, legal director for the JustChildren Program of the Legal Aid Justice Center, also noted that the superintendents' blueprint should include a vision for pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade.

"Targeted preschool is one of the best investments we can make in kids and reduces the need for more costly interventions later," she said.

Superintendents designed the plan to challenge education traditions and propose to reconfigure the traditional school calendar and school day.

Gloucester County Superintendent Howard B. "Ben" Kiser said the evolution of technology and virtual learning caused the superintendents to rethink time in education.

"We know through virtual curriculum … students do not have to sit in a class for 140 hours (and) 180 school days," he said, referring to requirements for course time and the academic year.

The blueprint proposes a curriculum that provides students with career-development experiences and promotes post-secondary readiness, said Ashby C. Kilgore, superintendent in Newport News.

Kilgore acknowledged that Standards of Learning assessments have significantly increased student achievement but are no longer sufficient. She said assessment tools will show students' growth and foster students' belief in themselves.

But to make the blueprint work, it all starts in the classroom with the teachers. Superintendents want to see educators in the top 10 percent of the pay scale and more professional-development opportunities.

With that comes holding teachers accountable for student achievement. The blueprint proposes the use of student performance in teacher-evaluations and advocates the support of locally developed differentiated pay for educators.

"Excellent teachers should make more money than the average ones," Kiser said. "Poor teachers need to improve their craft or leave the profession."