A National Curriculum: Lower Education for a Lowerclass??? I think not...

For me the passing of a national standard of education is the only way that makes sense. 1. I am the son of a military officer and so I move on average between every 2 and 4 years. Because of that I have had to transfer credits and it has been ridiculously inconvenient. For example, everyone who has lived in northern virginia knows that the school systems up there run at about the 2nd highest standard of learning in the US. When I take an Algebra II class in North VA and it doesnt transfer to my high school in Alabama (the 2nd lowest standard of learning) because my old high school failed to write Algebra II/Trig instead of just Algebra II, theres a problem. Anybody who moves out of state is subject to opinions of a school conselor as to how their credits are transferred. Also, the different standards for graduation can stop a senior from graduating. Had I remained in Alabama I would not have been able to graduate without summer classes simply due to the fact that alabama requires 28 credits as opposed to VA's 24 or colorado's 22. It was nothing that I did...just changes in standard that I couldnt avoid. If we were to use a National Curriculum plan, none of these would be problems for nomadic families. The standards would be the same everywhere. 2. How is it fair that any student who takes an AP Class in N.Virginia has at least an hour of homework just for that class, while a student who takes an AP in Alabama often has no homework at all??? Having moved around as much as I have, their seems to be a very noticeable difference between schools around those of a wealthier class, and those of surrounding poorer areas. Now certainly u can expect some difference in average scores, but I am reffering to the standards of education. It is 10 times easier to graduate from high school in montgomery alabama than it is to graduate in fairfax, va. In Mississippi high school is a joke, and in Colorado it at least takes some effort. So why is it that an Alabama High School Diploma means as much as a N.Va High School Diploma??? I had to work 100 times harder to get the N.Va one... My point in all of this is that we are measuring students differently based on their societal positions and then calling them equal. If everyone regardless of race, gender, and social class is generally equal in intellegence, then why are we lowering the bar for lower classes? It comes down to basic Universal Equality. Shouldn't everyone be treated as if they all all share the same genereal level of intellegence? With a national curriculum, everyone from the Florida Keys to Seattle, Washington would be judged by the same equal standard. That sounds more fair to me than the current state based curriculums. Why should someone in Alabama get a diploma for learning that the civil war happened in the 1860s sometimes and that their state joined the union in 1819, while the students in N.Va and Massachussetts get the same diploma but have to learn individual battles and dates and have to know all of the states, their capitols, and their major landmarks. I mean, when I have to learn the names of Every country in the world, their capitols and major geographical features and cities...and still not recieve a geography credit in Alabama...where many people couldn't tell you where vietnam even was (and still get a diploma)...there is a problem... If everyone is equal, than everyone should be judged according to their general equality. People in Alabama should no have an easier ride to graduation than the people in N.Va just because they live in Alabama and people in N.Va should not have a harder route to graduation just because they happen to live in N.Va.