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Washington
produces more
reports than any
other city on
Earth. Most of
them, even the
good ones, end
up collecting
dust on a shelf
somewhere.
Occasionally,
one is released
that commands
attention.
Twenty five
years ago this
spring, the
Reagan Education
Department
released “A
Nation at Risk,”
a landmark study
that found that
America’s
educational
system was
failing our
students and, in
the process,
putting our
future in
jeopardy.
According to
current
Education
Secretary
Margaret
Spellings, the
study was a
“call to arms”
for the Nation,
one
that “began a
national
movement,
inspiring
state-level
pioneers to
think about
standards and
accountability
in education.”
In this edition
of the Forum, we
examine what
this movement
has created by
looking at the
American
classroom – how
it has changed,
what it will
look like, and
how it can be
improved.
We
do so with the
assistance of
some of the most
talented
thinkers in the
field of
education today,
including former
President of
George
Washington
University
Stephen Joel
Trachtenberg,
who assesses
U.S. high
schools and asks
a critical
question -- are
they world
class? David
Longanecker of
the WICHE
Institute writes
about how
schools are
changing
demographically,
while former
Education
Secretary Rod
Paige discusses
how the American
classroom may
change in the
future.
Buck
McKeon, the lead
Republican on
the House
Education
Committee,
discusses the
need to
reauthorize the
No Child Left
Behind Act,
while former
Speaker Newt
Gingrich argues
that the U.S.
needs to do more
to strengthen
math and science
education.
We
also take a look
at the issue of
merit pay for
teachers with
pro/con debate
featuring Reg
Weaver of the
National
Education
Association and
Marc Lampkin of
Strong American
Schools.
We
hope you enjoy
this edition of
the Forum, and
encourage you to
write us at
editor@riponsociety.org
with any
comments or
questions you
may have.
Bill Frenzel
Chairman
Emeritus
Ripon Society |
