State-Based Reform, Not National Standards, Key to Better Education

Rachel Sheffield / June 28, 2011

“America’s economic strength and standing in the world economy are directly linked to our ability to equip students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the 21st-century economy….We must insist on standards that will prepare our high-school graduates for the demanding challenges they will face.”

So wrote former Florida Governor Jeb Bush (R) along with former Chancellor of New York City schools Joel Klein last week in a Wall Street Journal editorial arguing for the Common Core—a set of nationwide education standards.

No one would disagree with the statement above, but will national standards—already backed by federal funding—accomplish that worthy goal? (more…)