Just as we were about to straighten out our educational system, some members of Congress and the education community have been talking up a hot, new idea that could torpedo needed school reforms. The reforms would create a system similar to the one common to other industrial countries that outperform us. As soon as these proposals emerged, the issue of fairness was raised.
Some students have good textbooks and materials while others have poor ones or none at all.
Some schools have a computer for every student while others don't. As we move toward higher standards, the effects of school differences on student learning will become even greater than they are now. They would be set by a group supported by the federal government, and they would define what conditions schools need to meet so that all students have a fair chance to learn. No question, there's a real issue here. They argue that until and unless we achieve fairness in schooling, we should not make the new standards and assessments count for students.