Former President George W. Bush steered clear of politics and controversy on this morning’s visit to Denver.
“Post presidency is an interesting period,” Bush said. “I’m out of politics… but I still have a great passion about educational excellence.”
Bush declined to comment on Mohamar Gadhafi’s reported death, and even steered clear of discussing current legislative changes for his administration’s landmark No Child Left Behind law.
Mayor Michael Hancock, who sat with Bush during a closed roundtable discussion at Get Smart Schools, said the former president did talk about the importance of accountability, and test measures — the foundation of the NCLB legislation.
“He’s someone who has been there done that, so it was good just to get some ideas from him,” Hancock said. “It was perfect timing for me to have the opportunity to hear what led him to create that legislation.”
In April, Get Smart Schools signed a contract with the Dallas-based George W. Bush Institute’s Alliance to Reform Education Leadership to examine how principals are trained and evaluated.
The specifics of how the partnership will support local principal training through Get Smart Schools, has not yet been worked out.
Bush left quickly after brief remarks, celebrating the work Get Smart Schools does, and talking about the importance of good leaders in every school.
Mayor Hancock said that through this partnership, he expects the former president will return to Denver again.
Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372 or yrobles@denverpost.com
