There is, therefore, no more crucial issue to the discussion of standards than the role of local communities in setting those standards. In fact, I suggest that the Rural Challenge's policy statement on standards should be strengthened to eliminate the opportunity for paternalistic judgments made against local communities. I suggest the changes first because the word strong may well open rural communities to improper external judgments that have negative outcomes. There are several predictable outcomes. Paternalism is substituted for partnership and for local democratic action.
Communities become supplicant and passive.
They are not able or positioned then to fulfill their indispensable role in education. Rural communities are subjected to inappropriate models for education when they are deemed incapable. The prime example is consolidation of schools and school systems. Consolidation is a powerful, ongoing, and imposed industrial model that has continuing disastrous effect upon rural communities. Likewise, the language does not deny the role and authority of state education departments and boards or of legislators.