And that's how it should be, because education is the number one indicator of success in life. I have served on the National Education Goals Panel, and believe that benchmarking our children's progress to the best in the world is critical to the future of our state and nation. Sure, the kids in my state are competing with kids from Ohio and Indiana, but they are also competing with kids around the world. We dare not fail to prepare them for the economy of the 21st century. I am one who would like to see voluntary performance standards adopted by the states, especially in mathematics, science, reading, and writing.
Some people seem to get all caught up in the content and method of the testing.
While well intentioned, I believe such discussions unnecessarily distract us. Every year I talk to a lot of plant managers and CEO's. They know what skills are needed in the workplace. The sum of two plus two is the same in Michigan as it is in Texas. The Second Law of Thermodynamics is the same in Connecticut as it is in California.