Copyright 1992, the National School Boards Association. All rights reserved. Our schools aren't what they used to be. In the current debate on American public schools, we are cringing at the thunder and ignoring the lightning.
Thunder makes the noise, but it's lightning that does the killing.
In our misapplied hysteria, we're jumping at the wrong things. It's time to insert the earplugs so we can ignore the noise and put the lightning rod up on the roof to lessen the danger. Part of the blame for this misapplied hysteria must be placed at the feet of politicians, the news media, and the business community. But the fact that it has gone on, unabated, for nearly a decade is also the fault of those of us in the education community, who should be speaking out and fighting back. American educators greeted this with applause.