The Price of Uniformity
by Frederick M. Hess • Dec 12, 2012 at 8:44 am
Cross-posted from Education Week
Cross-posted from Education Week
There was a timely conversation yesterday in New York Times's "Room for Debate" about whether it makes sense for standards and funding to vary by state. (You can find it here.)
The NYT's query was: "The Common Core State Standards, adopted by the overwhelming majority of states and supported by the Obama administration, have worried liberals who question their quality and conservatives who fear they erode states' traditional responsibility for education. At the same time, the budget pressure of the impending 'fiscal cliff' could reduce federal support for education, which would add to the state and local responsibility. As these trends collide, Americans can take a step back and ask: Should education standards and funding vary by state?"
The debate included ten brief responses, some more thoughtful than others, from NYU prof Pedro Noguera, Kentucky state chief Terry Holliday, Jeb Bush, a Philadelphia principal, yours truly, and so forth. The