The case against national school standards: Obama's push would homogenize education even further

Andrew J. Coulson:

President Obama recently announced a $4.35 billion "Race to the Top" fund that he and Education Secretary Arne Duncan will use, among other things, to "reward states that come together and adopt a common set of standards and assessments." Duncan has championed uniform national standards as a key to educational improvement since taking office. "If we accomplish one thing in the coming years," he said back in February, "it should be to eliminate the extreme variation in standards across America."

That goal now seems within reach.

Both the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers recently stepped forward to lead the charge, and 46 states are already behind them. The day may soon come when every student in the country is expected to master the same material at the same age.

Let's hope that day never comes.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at August 15, 2009 3:11 AM
Subscribe to this site via RSS/Atom: Newsletter signup | Send us your ideas