RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell enlisted a former Florida governor in his push for legislation to grade Virginia public schools on an A-to-F scale.
Florida implemented such a grading system in 1999, when Republican Jeb Bush was governor. Bush said Friday that many underperforming schools had become complacent. He said the grades spurred community involvement that helped improve school performance overall.
Bush made the remarks in a teleconference with reporters and McDonnell, who called the proposed A-to-F grading scale a "simple but profound change" in the way Virginia rates schools. He said parents and others understand letter grades much better than ratings like "accredited" or "accredited with warning."
Many education associations oppose the proposal, which will be up for a vote in the General Assembly early next week.
