WS: Informed Reader

Informed Reader
January 10, 2008; Page B6
EDUCATION
What Ails Schools? No National Standard

• THE ATLANTIC -- JAN./FEB.


Local control of schools is crippling education in America, says Matt Miller.

U.S. students for years have lagged far behind their international peers in reading, math and science; dropout rates are alarmingly high. The best way to fix these problems is to nationalize achievement targets, says Mr. Miller. A frequent voice on policy matters, he served in the Clinton administration and is a fellow at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

Local control has roots in the Colonial era, when people developed a deep distrust of distant, centralized authority. That ethos has served the country politically, but it is failing the schools, says Mr. Miller. For one, widely varying standards make it difficult to know how well students are doing. President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" program has failed to address disparities, since states can establish their own definitions of proficiency.

The fragmented nature of the education system impedes innovation. School districts typically can't afford to invest in new approaches on their own, yet they remain suspicious of federal efforts. Mr. Miller also faults what he says is widespread incompetence on school boards. Recalcitrant teachers' unions, meanwhile, block changes.

In an ideal world, school boards would be jettisoned. Since that isn't likely, Mr. Miller advocates limiting the boards' role, starting by sharply increasing the federal government's share of education spending.

Schools need national expectations, says Mr. Miller. Start by establishing national objectives, he says, while allowing schools discretion in how they meet the objectives.