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When it comes to vouchers, Smith’s said his
stance is grounded in reality.
“I think if the world was well funded, if inequality
between groups of kids in different places was
erased, if every school was a quality school, I might
have a conversation about vouchers. Absent that
reality, I think vouchers exacerbate inequity,” he said.
“If you start with choice, in my experience, people
who have social, economic or political capital will take
advantage of that. Now you’ve concentrated the
highest need in places with the least quality. You
need to invest first in figuring out how to increase
quality and opportunity in those places with the
greatest need.”
And his view on charter schools is pretty simple:
“If a public charter school is providing a quality
opportunity for kids and is making good on its charter
agreement with the community, then we should all be
saying ‘Great! Outstanding!’ If a charter school is not
doing a good job, is not following through on its
commitments to the community, then it should close.”
Much of Smith’s blueprint for the future of public
education in Illinois seems to mirror the Vision 20/20
plan developed by IASA, the other members of the
Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance and
groups such as the regional superintendents and the
Superintendents’ Commission on the Study of
Demographics and Diversity. In fact, a hardbound
copy of the Vision 20/20 plan sits on a coffee table in
Smith’s Springfield office.
“I have read the Vision 20/20 plan and think
there’s a tremendous amount of alignment,” Smith
said. “One place I’d like to have more conversation is
how we can maximize to the fullest extent possible
district autonomy when it comes to things like
mandates. Mandates have different impacts in
different districts.”
The State Superintendent’s common thread
during an hour-long discussion was providing
equitable opportunity to
all
children across Illinois, a
noble but monumental mission in a state with such
diverse needs and assets. Smith has never forgotten
how people reached out and helped transform his life.
He is an example of the powerful difference that
caring teachers, coaches and administrators can
make in a child’s life.
Smith said he believes ISBE’s primary role is to
provide support to local school districts.
“I believe deeply in leadership from the middle,
that people in leadership in districts know and
understand their work better than anybody else and
the opportunity to serve kids is most directly theirs,”
Smith said. “I want to be absolutely clear that districts
must be in compliance with regard to things that will
jeopardize federal funding. At the state level, our job
is to be oriented around helping those leaders in
districts do the work that they know is best for the
kids in their communities and then, at the end of the
day, asking the questions ‘How are
all
of the children
doing? Is it more likely that the kids who were further
away from opportunity are now doing better? As the
result of your choices have you increased opportunity
for kids?’ “
“I have read the Vision
20/20 plan and think there’s a
tremendous amount of
alignment. One place I’d like
to have more conversation is
how we can maximize to the
fullest extent possible district
autonomy when it comes to
things like mandates.
Mandates have different
impacts in different districts.”