Governor offers school plan.

Byline: Gilbert Gallegos TRIBUNE REPORTER

Johnson's plan includes more student testing, bonuses for teachers, an overhaul of early childhood education programs and vouchers to pay for schools -- public or private -- of the parents' choice.

Heading into an election year, Gov. Gary Johnson is making his biggest push yet to make his mark on the state's public schools.

Surrounded by about a dozen Santa Fe elementary students, Johnson today unveiled a package of education initiatives -- a mixed bag of new proposals and old ideas.

Johnson's plan, called "For Children's Sake: Reforming Public Education in New Mexico," includes providing vouchers to pay for schools -- public or private -- of the parents' choice.

"It's about kids having a choice about where they get their education. This opens up competition," the governor said.

Other proposals would give more control to local school boards, which would get the final say over district budgets. Johnson also favors changing the time of year students are counted by districts in order to get state money, forcing schools to try to keep students from dropping out in order to secure the funds that each student is worth to a district.

He also wants to revamp early childhood education programs, offer incentives to teachers and schools that improve, and penalize "non-performing schools."

Johnson also vowed today to put the state on a track to spend 50 percent of its money on schools within five…