National Standard for Our Schools: Yay or Nay?

Education Week magazine has sent me a very interesting email.

Its website is having an online chat about setting a "national standard" for tests and curricula for America's schools. Do you think that this is a good idea, or would it be best to allow states to continue to have a different standard for each state? Personally, I'm not too sure about the national standard idea. Each state in the U.S. has its own problems and methods that may not fit into the national plan. After all, there is a huge divide amoung and even within our states.

Most people argue that the standardized system we have now is crap because some schools in America have fewer advantages and opportunities than others. Unless the government found a plan that would cater to all schools, which seems extremely difficult, wouldn't a national system make things a bit worse?

But enough about my opinion...what do you think?


Here's the magazine's email for more details about the chat:

Join us Wednesday, Jan. 18, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time, for an online chat with guest Diane Ravitch on national standards, curricula, and tests. In a commentary piece published in EDUCATION WEEK's recently released QUALITY COUNTS 2006 report, "Quality Counts at 10: A Decade of Standards-Based Education," Ravitch contends that standards-based education reform has been compromised because each of the 50 states sets its own standards and monitors its own progress, creating mixed messages about what students should know and be able to do and incentives for the states to lower existing standards so as to demonstrate "progress." Ravitch argues that adopting national standards is the best way to solve the problem of inconsistent standards and to prevent states from lowering passing scores on state exams to show progress.


Want to join the chat?
It will be at www.edweek-chat.org

Want to send questions in advance?
Go to www.edweek-chat.org/question.php3