Daugaard’s Edcuation Reforms Ignore Student Achievement: The Short Form

Following is the most concise indictment of Governor Daugaard's disastrous education reform package that I can offer. If you see the Governor, or if you are looking for prefatory comments for your crackerbarrel questions, try this:

Governor Daugaard, you and the ever-fatuous Senator Russell Olson claim that "Our goal is student achievement." Offered numerous policies with proven positive impact on student achievement, you choose to enact merit bonuses, which are shown by research not to improve student achievement. You target math and science bonuses at rookie teachers, with no connection to student achievement. You end continuing contract, which will make it easier for bad administrators (who must exist in equal proportion to bad teachers, right?) to get rid of effective teachers for bad reasons.

On all three major planks of your plan, Governor Daugaard, you fail to uphold your own declared goal.

You might want to leave out fatuous.