THE REPUBLICAN MODEL:

Booker Seeks Vouchers, Says He Could Best Bloomberg on Schools (SARAH GARLAND, February 20, 2007, NY Sun)

The mayor of Newark, Cory Booker, says he could turn around his city's struggling schools in half the time it has taken Mayor Bloomberg to make improvements in New York City's schools -- if voters grant him mayoral control.

Merit pay for teachers, vouchers, more charter schools and New York City-style empowerment for principals are also on Mr. Booker's schools agenda, which he disclosed to The New York Sun in an interview last week. In the interview he also declared his aspirations to take over Newark's schools as Mayor Bloomberg has done in New York City. He said he would then follow the example of Chancellor Joel Klein, one of his heroes when it comes to education, by slimming down the bureaucracy and devolving more power and money to individual schools.

"Joel is a great model. I just believe, very optimistically, that Joel Klein is dealing with a million kids, and we're dealing with 44,000," Mr. Booker said. "So we're going to be able to show a difference a lot earlier."

Funny how Democrats with new ideas have old Republican ones.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 20, 2007 8:13 AM