The point that I'm trying to make with this history lesson is that the State has already proven that they are not worthy of our trust. Even if they promise to turn over a new leaf and change their ways, I would not be convinced. They have shown their true colors and will proceed with their agenda as soon as they think they can get away with it. It would be irresponsible for us to continue to authorize the state government to dictate and assess standards after we've seen how a State Board could violate our trust over and over again. You see, with curriculum centralization comes politicalization.
Academic soundness is sacrificed for political correctness.
Weakening local control by empowering state bureaucrats with the power to dictate and assess standards is not the best way to achieve accountability in education. I have two suggestions for achieving accountability that will not weaken local control. If we want educational reform that will truly benefit the students, then we need to empower the people that care the most about the students, namely - the parents. If we empower the parents with the ability to send their child to the school of their choice, the schools overnight become more accountable to parents. I teach for North Allegheny School District.