A March 2006 Morrison Institute Report, "Beat the Odds," surprise everyone by finding that the top factor in performing schools was not more money.  In fact, the opposite seemed to be the dog that barked.  Commissioned to discover the ingredients that contributed to the educational excellence in 12 Arizona schools with predominately poor Latino students, the team from Morrison found that in every case, the people made the difference.  These schools had all of the risk factors that suggest a one-way ticket to declining student performance.  According to the prognosticators, the 12 should have tanked.  But they didn't.  They beat the odds and excelled.  What's more, they continue to do so each year by showing annual increases in student achievement as measured by state tests.

When you draw the curtain back at these campuses, you find people--the teachers, principals, mentors, tutors, and coaches.  The commonality across these schools was marked by leaders who set achievement goals and wouldn't stop until all were accomplished.  Those is the business of excelling education prove daily in the laboratory of action that what really matters are the intagibles: that an enacted vision, common sense and unleashing local talent within each school are the consistent magic bullets.  To quote the report: "Following these practices in successful schools doesn't require major infusions of capital, new teachers or new structures....Rather the evidence suggests, exceptional performance is achievable by virtually any school with the discipline to analyze over and over and keep focusing on what works."

In Arizona a little over 1/5 of the state budget is dedicated to financing public education.  That speaks loudly of the importance this issue is to the citizens of this state.  Let's begin to look at ways that this incredible financial investment can be wedded to the outcome we all desire: quality education for all children so that they can be prepared to take their place in the economic marvel of the USA. By continuing to do the same thing and expecting a different outcome is I believe the definition of insanity. 

As we begin to rethink our state and local financing plan, consider the words of our 34th president, "We succeed only as we identify in life, or in war, or in anything else, a single overriding objective, and make all other considerations bend to that one objective."  Let's agree to identify our objective, regardless of philosophic viewpoints, as the opportunity for a quality education for all.