A community gets the schools it wants and deserves. If the community respects the enterprise of the school, the school is likely to accomplish high quality outcomes with its students. The same is true if the school respects the aspirations of the community. When the school and the community are partners the best results achieved. While we often think of schools as existing to benefit individual students, in this country schools were established for public purposes - to prepare citizens to work together to maintain our democracy and economic system.
Schools are a public function which requires public responsibility.
Standards for students, schools, teachers, and teacher educators are all important but will only succeed if the public also embraces standards for its support of children and youth and their education.