7 September 2007 | The Royal Gazette

A former education secretary in US president George Bush's administration was unveiled yesterday as the man Government hopes will transform Bermuda's failing public schools.

Henry L. Johnson was named as the Island's new consultant executive officer for education at a news conference at Cabinet.

Dr. Johnson will serve in the post for two years. He was previously assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education in the States, where he was charged with improving student attainment across the country after President Bush nominated him in June 2005.

The former principal and math and science teacher has also served as state superintendent of education in Mississippi and associate state superintendent of the North Carolina department of public instruction.

Dr. Johnson's latest role will see him implement recommendations from a damning independent study conducted earlier this year by experts who concluded that Bermuda's public education system was "on the brink of meltdown".

The Hopkins report called for a massive overhaul of the Ministry of Education and the introduction of a proper curriculum followed by all schools and upon which children were consistently assessed.

Dr. Johnson, from Alabama, told reporters yesterday that there was "no mystery" about why schools here were failing. "The research is really, really clear," he said. "When teachers know, understand and teach the curriculum and assessments are based on that curriculum that teachers are supposed to teach, student learning goes up." MORE! »