Two days after voters approved him as the next state superintendent of public instruction, John Huppenthal acknowledged the challenge ahead of him is "a little like moving Mt. Everest."
"We have a system - when you total it up - of well over 2 million people," he said of the students, teachers and staff involved in public education. "You really have to think in terms of a massive, massive system. You have to have a ton of knowledge of what you're about if you want to make a difference."
"I've spent a lot of time reading and researching all the different routes to failure and to make sure above all we don't replicate that," he said.
Almost 56 percent of voters picked Huppenthal over former Arizona Education Association president and longtime educator Penny Kotterman, according to unofficial results Thursday.
While AEA has close ties with Kotterman, the teachers union is ready to work with Huppenthal.
"I've had a long relationship with John. He's well researched. But he's not been in teaching," said AEA president Andrew Morrill. "He really needs to surround himself with people who are in education. He needs to do what good leaders do: look at his strengths and put people around him who have expertise he does not have."
Dawn Koberstein, president of the Chandler Education Association and a 17-year-educator, said she is "hopeful" having a new superintendent in the state will set a vision "to bring all stakeholders together."
"It's going to allow for a chance to set a new vision and a new course for which we can make change for education," she said.
Almost immediately, Huppenthal will inherit a department that potentially faces more cuts. Lawmakers balanced this year's budget with hopes voters would approve two measures that would pump about $450 million into the general fund. But voters turned down both Propositions 301 and 302.
Education and health care are the state's biggest expenses, making them easy targets for potential cuts.
"We could face an absolutely severe situation, but we know no matter how severe the situation is we cannot only maintain, we can improve outcomes for our kids," Huppenthal said. "That's not going to be an excuse. We are going to move forward."
Though there may be "tough decisions," Huppenthal said he wants to keep the focus on teachers.
"All our decisions have to center around supporting teachers in the classroom. Everything is about the disciplined, organized classroom with well-supported teachers. There's enough money in the system to get that done even with a severe resource restraint."
One of his first actions will be to gather and analyze data about school districts with high teacher satisfaction. Research shows, he said, that those districts also are doing the most to academically move students forward.
Huppenthal wants to identify details about what the top 10 districts in the state are doing, from their teacher development programs to their technology to their accounting systems. He then wants that put out there for others to replicate.
He also plans to continue with his strong support of school choice in the state and increasing opportunities for all students.
"The only way we're going to have excellent education for every student is to make sure every parent has many choices to find the best education for their child," he said. "We're going to expand the school choice movement everywhere we can, along with accountability. We have to help parents select great schools."
Mesa teacher Mike McClellan is concerned about so much emphasis on school choice.
"I think we're in for a contentious four years because I believe that Sen. Huppenthal has a very clear agenda that will meet resistance inside the education community in part because he seems to believe that choice is a kind of panacea for what ails education," the Dobson High School English teacher said.
But Huppenthal said that he thinks rather highly of Arizona's district schools. So, what would he tell parents moving to the state about public education here?
"I would tell them we have some great schools for your kids and these great schools exist in our district school system," he said. "We have district schools, public district schools in the top 1 percent of the nation. From that standpoint we're almost a gem amongst all the states.
"In a lot of states there are no choices for parents. That choice is where you buy a house. If that isn't great for your kids, you're stuck. It's very difficult to get another choice. In Arizona every parent has as many as 20 choices or more, so there are a lot of options out there."
Carolyn posted at 3:15 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
I am not one of the IDIOTS who voted for IDIOT HUPPENTHAL, and I will not be listening to anything he has to say. He wasn't qualified for the job in the first place. The voters obviously voted "party" instead of qualifications. As far as I am concerned, he doesn't even exist.
miraclegro posted at 5:09 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
John Huppenthal talks a good game but is scared to death of Russell Pearce.
Rich posted at 7:55 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
All education is based in the student. All a teacher is, is someone who makes you WANT to know. Once you add indoctrination (because the government pays), unions (because I'm a teacher and should get full time pay for part time work) and politicos with agendas (elect me to something) the kids get (apparrently what the Tribune considers obscenity and censors) . Ask your kids who "L. E. L." is, and challenge them to find out. And you will have done more than the teachers of Arizona have for decades.
Irons1 posted at 6:48 am on Fri, Nov 5, 2010.
I don't know who Rich is, but he seems to really have some type of perception problem. John Huppenthal is not qualified to lead anything regarding education and how he got elected is only tied to his party affiliation. The people who voted for him and some of the others that got elected really blew it this time. Arizona is receeding into the dark ages.
Rich posted at 10:55 am on Fri, Nov 5, 2010.
Irons
Perception of what? The last politician who was actually qualified was probably Thomas Jefferson. Qualifications are for real jobs, Politicians are people who can't do real jobs.
mesateacher posted at 12:11 pm on Fri, Nov 5, 2010.
In what way is he not qualified? He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering. How many of you took, and passed, physics, thermodynamics, calculus, differential equations, and other really hard classes? I'm pretty sure Penny can't solve ordinary diff eqs.
He has an MBA. You think that's easy? The man obviously is very bright. His legislative background shows his concern about education. And his own schooling demonstrates he knows what it takes to succeed: hard work, solid grounding in the basics, and personal sacrifice and dedication. Penny K and her union thugs would do nothing more than continue to push their liberal agenda, force more self-esteem tripe on our schools, lower standards, and continue to weaken schools.
John H got elected because people are fed up with the sorry state of schools. His opponent also ran a weak, non-visible campaign. And her slobbering love affair with the AEA sealed her loss.
Slabside posted at 1:59 pm on Fri, Nov 5, 2010.
mesateacher, please excuse the likes of irons, forkedlift, carolyn and rich. It bothers them to no end when voters do their homework and vote for new candidates based on their track record and background. If this candidate shows some guts and actually bucks the system of leftist socialism and political correctness by supporting Americans and their values they are labeled Nazis, KKK clansmen, rednecks etc.[wink]
soricobob posted at 7:18 am on Sun, Nov 7, 2010.
I think John should have a good time determining the best schools. He could chose; highest AIMS scores, greatest number of of college attendees (or highest percentage), highest number of students fulfilling parent's aspirations, greatest number of seniors with A's on their report card, highest number of students with after school jobs, or best football teams; it's that easy!
listenertoo posted at 2:28 pm on Sun, Nov 7, 2010.
"In what way is he not qualified? He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering. How many of you took, and passed, physics, thermodynamics, calculus, differential equations, and other really hard classes? I'm pretty sure Penny can't solve ordinary diff eqs."
mesateacher, you are not and have never been an teacher. Huppenthal has less education than Tom Horne, and he surely wasn't qulified either. Who are you kidding? You are a sham poster. Not one of the teachers I know think he was qualified. My guess is that you are Huppenthal and posted that yourself.
listenertoo posted at 2:32 pm on Sun, Nov 7, 2010.
Oh, and soricobob, you've just described the aspirations of high socio-economic families. That is exactly what they get and can afford their children to have. What do you propose to do with the vast majority of students in Arizona who do not come from a background of wealth?
mesateacher posted at 5:25 pm on Sun, Nov 7, 2010.
listenertoo:
You're wrong on several counts. Yes, I am a teacher in the East Valley, and have been for over 30 years. Do you really think all teachers stick together and vote the union line? Not me, and there are many teachers like me who believe that one of the biggest problems of public schools is the union mentality and the self-esteem movement promoted for over 40 years by liberal educators. Yes, I voted for Huppenthal and I can name (but won't) 30 teachers at my school who voted for him.
Being an educator doesn't make one more qualified. Remember C Diane Bishop? or may Lisa Graham Keegan? They were teachers, and they were miserable as SOEs. One of the best ever was Carolyn Warner -- and she wasn't a teacher. The position is political whatever one wants to think. And the best candidate is someone who cares about education, cares about kids, Arizona, and our future. Penny K may meet those needs, but as a part of the educational establishment, she's just part of the problem.