Executives at three of the region’s leading business and community organizations share their views.

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Michael A. Grego

Superintendent
Osceola County Public Schools

FM: Do you believe that President Obama’s performance-pay program can benefit the quality of learning in your district?

Grego: I believe any time our society invests in education, with the focus and intent to increase student learning, we all benefit. The key is to involve the professionals, those closest to the process of student learning, in developing appropriate accountability standards. The federal Race to the Top grant is an investment in educational research and development to assist educators and parents to solve some of the most pressing issues facing our state and nation. We have a great opportunity as a community to significantly advance education and our future workforce.

FM: What are the greatest chalenges your district will face during the school year?

Grego: The primary challenge we face is to remain focused on issues that really matter to our students and the learning process. We must not become overly distracted by reduced budgets and the struggling economy. A quality education is the No. 1 predictor of a quality community and workforce. We need our parents and the business community to help send the message to state leadership to support increased academic rigor and access to high-level courses and programs. Failure can’t be an option, as the cost is far greater than that of education.

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Ronald Blocker

Superintendent
Orange County Public Schools

FM: Do you believe that President Obama’s performance-pay program can benefit the quality of learning in your district?

Blocker: Pay for performance has long been a hotly debated topic in public education. Critical to the equation is agreement by teacher associations and unions to the concept and parameters to be followed. Failure to reach such agreement will prove disastrous for any such attempt and result in great damage to teacher morale. Nevertheless, we believe performance pay can be a vital tool, especially for attracting high-performing teachers to schools that serve more children of poverty. We believe it would benefit our district.

FM: What are the greatest chalenges your district will face during the school year?

Blocker: OCPS must deal with several challenges this year. Catastrophic funding deficits were limited due to federal stimulus dollars, but close to $50 million was still reduced [from the budget]. Additionally, there is a funding cliff looming in two years that requires constant attention. Accountability issues and high-stakes testing will continue to be important issues and should drive high-school reform efforts. We will also continue to deal with issues in the court system in order to achieve unitary status.

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Bill Vogel

Superintendent
Seminole County Public Schools

FM: Do you believe that President Obama’s performance-pay program can benefit the quality of learning in your district?

Vogel: As with many complex initiatives, it is the details related to how performance pay is awarded that will determine benefit to the quality of learning in our district.

FM: What are the greatest chalenges your district will face during the school year?

Vogel: The greatest challenges are the following: increased state accountability requirements; uncertain budget; and impact of recession on children and families — free and reduced lunch rate has increased to 36 percent, and Seminole has more than 1,000 homeless families.