Innovation Schools Act Places Focus on Improving Academic Achievement

By Robyn Bagley, Chair, Parents for Choice in Education

There is much chatter about student achievement in our government monopoly education system these days, especially in Obama's Race to the Top stimulus plan. I'm glad there is at least some acknowledgment, because U.S. children perform well below their peers in industrialized nations - 25th in math and 21st in science.

Each year when comparative subject assessment test scores come out we learn that by and large our students are not improving and, in fact, minority performance continues to slide (recent NAEP scores illustrate this). Sadly, we hear comments from education leaders about finding comfort in holding steady. ...