THE RIGHT COURSE - AT 7:36 A.M. ET:  We have real doubts here about a federal role in education, which by tradition has been a local and state function.  Indeed, it seems to us that the best school systems in the country were built on local values and with local parental involvement, not by federal guidelines or grants.

But the reality is that the feds are involved, and will likely stay involved.  If that's the case, we'll at least want them to act intelligently, and it appears that there are some good things being done right now.  We give credit where it's due.  We hope the Obama White House doesn't fold under pressure from the teachers' unions.  The New York Times has the story:

Holding out billions of dollars as a potential windfall, the Obama administration is persuading state after state to rewrite education laws to open the door to more charter schools and expand the use of student test scores for judging teachers.

That aggressive use of economic stimulus money by Education Secretary Arne Duncan is provoking heated debates over the uses of standardized testing and the proper federal role in education, issues that flared frequently during President George W. Bush’s enforcement of his signature education law, called No Child Left Behind.

A recent case is California, where legislative leaders are vowing to do anything necessary, including rewriting a law that prohibits the use of student scores in teacher evaluations, to ensure that the state is eligible for a chunk of the $4.3 billion the federal Education Department will soon award to a dozen or so states. The law had strong backing from the state teachers union.

COMMENT:  Look, this isn't ideal, and there are different ways of looking at education issues.  But at least the federal government is demanding some standards.  True, Washington should listen to concerns by the states, and keep itself out whenever possible.  But if we're going to spend on education, we should demand results, not just more buildings and buses. 

There is also an important media role here.  The media often shortchanges education stories, especially at the high-school level, by rarely reporting what is actually being taught, especially in politically charged subjects like history and, yes, even English.  That must change.

What must also change is the avoidance of certain truths.  Good schools are built by good families and engaged parents.  The culture at home determines the culture that students bring to the classroom.  We know that, but it often seems to be a secret.

August 17, 2009