Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush unveiled an education plan on Monday that he framed as tackling “the great civil rights challenge of our time.” Bush rolled out his plan in a video and blog post that invoke the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
“Too many low-income students start kindergarten already years behind their more affluent counterparts,” Bush wrote. “To achieve equal opportunity and increased economic growth, we must provide every child the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the increasingly competitive 21st century global economy. As the nation honors Dr. Martin Luther King and his legacy today, I firmly believe that ensuring every individual has access to a quality education is the great civil rights challenge of our time.”
Bush’s plan hinges on four points: education decisions should be made “as close to the student as possible,” choice of all kinds should be expanded, transparency is essential to accountability, and innovation requires flexibility.
The governor’s previous support for Common Core standards does not appear to mesh well with the first point of his new education plan, but Bush appears intent on making his campaign about detailing various policy proposals rather than attitudinal conservatism demonstrated by rival Republicans on the trail.
Bush ranks sixth in the Washington Examiner‘s newest GOP presidential power rankings released after Thursday’s presidential debate.
