National education standards?

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about this issue. I believe that national standards are not just important, but completely and utterly necessary for our country to grow in the right direction. Americans seem to think that this is the best country in the world - but without a better education system, I don't think this will ever happen. 


Judy Jeffrey, the Iowa Department of Education director explains the *new* Iowa Core Curriculum in this video. Why is this only a new system? Why is it only going to be enforced in 2012 and 2014? Why, when certain groups are pushing for national standards, is Iowa only just beginning to push for the same curriculum state-wide? Iowa prides itself on having a terrific education system, but quite frankly, I'm not seeing it.


In a USA Today online article, it's easy to see the opposite side of this battle. Robert Scott, Texas Education Commisioner, was quoted that these national standards "can be seen as a step toward a federal takeover of the nation's public schools." Federal takeover? If that's what these national standards are, so be it. These standards are what is going to make America the ideal America again. America simply cannot move forward without a better education system. Things have to change! If states do not even have common standards, there are obviously problems with this system.


I had read a different article earlier this summer on how different states rate on a letter-based scale in reading and math. (I didn't know of the social bookmarking world then, so I can't find this article now!) I did find an interactive map from Time online that shows basically the same thing. According to it, Iowa's reading test is 45 points below the national test. Mississippi's is the worst, at 71 points below. America has a long way to go. 


And saying that, it seems like this is going to be a very long process. But shouldn't states just incorporate this as soon as possible? Yes, it will be extremely difficult for students, especially ones that have been taught at levels so much lower than the national standards. But shouldn't that fact show how quickly it needs to be done? 


As an education student, I do not understand why we haven't been informed about this in any classes. It seems to me that in four more years when I hope to graduate, this issue needs to really be taking effect. This seems like something we should be learning about now, and understanding the importance of, and why some are opposed to the idea of it. Is it because it is a political issue? That liberals and conservatives are generally taking opposite sides? I don't think this should matter - these things are forcing me to think, and I don't think any student should be left in the dust.

First Post

This is my first post for this blog. I'm going to keep it solely for education purposes for possible ideas as a teacher. I'm an TESOL major at the University of Northern Iowa.