(From PubliCola, April 5th 2012)
Inslee pulled off an impressive feat today. High-profile representatives from both sides of the heated education debate–the state’s teachers’ union leader Mary Lindquist and her rival, longtime reformer Lisa Macfarlane (formerly the senior policy director at the League of Education Voters and now the head of Democrats for Education Reform) –were on hand to applaud Inslee’s speech at Renton’s Talbot Hill Elementary where he unveiled his education plan.
(And don’t be fooled the “Democrats” tag in Macfarlane’s title. The reason a group like that exists is because Democrats are known for being in lockstep with the teachers’ union against the “reform” movement.)
Inslee’s plan embraces key components of the reform movement such as making teacher and principle evaluations a “significant” piece of management decisions. He also introduced an idea that sounded like it came straight out of the reform movement, pledging to give schools grades and making the data on that public. He’s not for charters, but he talked a lot about innovative schools.
Macfarlane, whose education reform ally, LEV fonder Nick Hanauer, recently blasted Inslee for failing on education reform, told me she’d give Inslee an A- on today’s speech.Wow. “He gave a great speech. It’s a real plan. He put a stake in the ground on a meaningful teacher and principal evaluation system, making them significant factor in management decisions. And he put a focus on innovation and accountability.”
I’ve yet to hear back from Lindquist, but the WEA has already endorsed Inslee and the NEA (the national teachers’ union) is Inslee’s biggest donor.