"We must restore the value to a high school diploma."

Governor Mark Warner of Virginia, chairman of the National Governors Association, spoke these beautiful words, in a New York Times web article dated February 23. The group of governors calls for tougher exams and higher standards in high schools in order for students to be better prepared for the real world.

They want high school students to be tested on a regular basis and encourage states to develop standards high enough to satisfy colleges and employers.

Although their plan shares the similarities of our president's "No Child Left Behind" Law (higher expectations, serious consequences, etc.), the governors consider their method to be more "ambitious" and opposes Bush's "far too onerous" plan.

the governors, who were also mentioned in a CNN.com article, began their crusade after a frightening report by the Educational Testing Service (the report can be found on their web site) surfaced on Tuesday. According to the report, high school completion rates dropped nationally from 1990 to 2000, with about one-third of students failing to graduate.