Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 25, 1993 TAG: 9302250089
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
SCHOOL STANDARDS GET BACKING
In a sharp departure from longstanding government policy, the Clinton administration voiced support Wednesday for a system of voluntary standards for the nation's schoolchildren that would measure their progress in various subjects.In testimony before Congress, Education Secretary Richard Riley pledged to avoid federal "micro-management" of the schools and said the standards would "set critical benchmarks for all of our states and communities."
Educators have long debated whether the nation's public schools should be held to a single standard. State and local school officials now determine what should be required of schools and the pupils who attend them.
Reaction to Riley's comments was mixed. Albert Shanker, head of the American Federation of Teachers, said he supports the idea of national standards, but a spokesman for the conservative Cato Institute said it would lead to "centralization and conformity."
Riley said the White House would make its proposal as part of a broader national education program called "Goals 2000: Educate America Act," now in the drafting stage. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, appearing at the same hearing, said there would be similar voluntary standards for students in post-high school job training programs.
The White House will propose making the standards a "matter of formal policy," although they would be voluntary, Riley said.
He said he expected new national standards in mathematics, science, English and language arts, geography, history, the arts and foreign languages.
With no federal enforcement, parents would have to make sure their children were being properly educated.
Riley and Reich told a Senate committee that federally chartered councils would devise the standards and separate boards would monitor whether the goals were being reached.
Each state would have its own board to decide what path to follow.
"I'm very skeptical of the idea of national standards," said David Boaz of the Cato Institute. "What national standards would give us is more centralization and conformity."
But Shanker said he believes there is nothing wrong with some federal curriculum guidelines.
"Sure you allow flexibility, not just for states and districts but for individual schools to decide how to get there," he said.