Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels took on the state’s property tax system a few years back and won. Now, he’s taking aim at the Hoosier state’s public education system for major reforms.

“Indiana has waited long enough for the kind of educational results that a great state must achieve,” Daniels said during his State of the State address before the Indiana General Assembly in Indianapolis Tuesday night.

Some of the reforms mentioned include doing more to improve teacher quality.

“Teacher quality has been found to be twenty times more important than any other factor, including poverty, in determining which kids succeed.  Class size, by comparison, is virtually meaningless,” Daniels said. “Put a great teacher in front of a large class, and you can expect good results.  Put a poor teacher in front of a small class, do not expect the kids to learn.”

Daniels says teacher should earn tenure by performance, not longevity.

“Teachers should have tenure, but they should earn it by proving their ability to help kids learn.  Our best teachers should be paid more, much more, and ineffective teachers should be helped to improve or asked to move,” Daniels said.

Daniels is also calling for money to open more charter schools around the state. And to provide state-paid vouchers for parents who want to send their children to a private school.

“We should let these families apply dollars that the state spends on their child to the non-government school of their choice,” Daniels said.

Opponents say vouchers would undercut public schools and blur the line between separation of church and state, but they’ve been supported by Republicans who now control both houses of the General Assembly.

Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson, a Democrat, said the biggest problem was the state’s inability to fund public schools because of high unemployment and stagnant wages.

Simpson said education reform should start with adequate funding.

Meanwhile, state Rep. Scott Pelath of Michigan City, said Daniels should have focused more on helping the 300,000 Hoosiers who are out of work.

“Basically he said, ‘Look, I’ve done everything that I can do. I’m going to point the finger out at Washington if things don’t get better. But if things to happen to improve, I’ll be pleased to take a little bit if credit for that,’,” Pelath said.

Political pundits were also listening close for hints that could indicate a president run by Daniels in 2012. But little indication, if any, was found in the text of Daniels’ 30-minute speech.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.