Jeb Bush: Quality education critical to success

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush says educators and politicians of both parties must work together to ensure a quality education for all students.

Bush told about 300 educators, legislators and businessmen in Columbia on Friday that key elements for success are setting high expectations for students, judging schools for performance, providing educational choices and rewarding good teachers.

Bush spoke at the Empower South Carolina Education Reform Summit organized by U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint.

DeMint says he organized the summit to bring South Carolina into a coalition of states learning from each other to improve education. Bush is chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education.

Public education advocates say they’re open to ideas and appreciate that Bush didn’t lambast educators. But they say the difficulties are in the details.