Education proposals unveiled by Reilly

Rolling out the first major proposals of his gubernatorial campaign, Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly yesterday promised to use college scholarships, beefed-up teacher training, and tutoring from professional engineers and scientists to improve the math and science skills of Massachusetts students.

Reilly, who unveiled his plan at a Needham elementary school, said the Bay State will not be able to compete with other states and countries for jobs if it doesn't do more to produce college graduates who are equipped for ''an innovation economy."

''As we begin to lay out a long-range strategic vision for Massachusetts, the quality of education that our kids receive in math and science is critical to the economic future of this state and critical to their future," Reilly said in a phone interview with the Globe.

Reilly said Massachusetts should rank ''among the elite in the world" in math and science education and should aim to increase the number of high school students interested in majoring in those subjects by 40 percent in the next five years. He cited a recent study showing that in 2005, less than 20 percent of SAT takers in Massachusetts said they planned to major in math and science in college, compared with 32 percent in North Carolina.

Reilly also said he wants to cut the MCAS math failure rate for African-American and Hispanic students in half within five years, and ensure that all math and science teachers in public schools are qualified to teach the subjects.

To achieve those goals, the Democratic candidate would offer scholarships to college students who major in math and science and commit to teach in public schools for five years; would pay for additional math and science training for teachers; and would offer tax incentives to companies that supply schools with math and science tutors. Reilly also wants to convene a math and science summit and launch a statewide public information campaign to show students how math and science skills can lead to a good job.

The plan Reilly announced yesterday steers clear of several controversial issues, including bonuses for math and science teachers, teacher salaries based on performance, charter schools, and lengthening the school day. In the past he has expressed support for charter schools, especially in school districts with low test scores, and he said yesterday that merit pay for teachers and a longer school day ''should be on the table" and may be included in future education proposals.

In the education plan he released in October, Reilly's Democratic rival, Deval L. Patrick, said he supports free full-day kindergarten for all 5-year-olds; smaller class sizes; a longer school day; and charter schools, as long as they don't drain money from traditional public schools. He also wants the state to send more education money to cities and towns.

Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, the leading Republican candidate, supports proposals that Governor Mitt Romney is pushing in the Legislature, including basing teacher pay on performance, bonuses for math and science teachers, and a longer school day. Healey also would like to raise the legal dropout age from 16 to 18.