Schools should be places of
joy and excitement that enliven the mind, quicken curiosity and empower
students to reach their highest potential. They should be places of
respect and fairness where everyone has an equal chance. They should
prepare students to meet an unknown future with confidence and enthusiasm.
Sadly many our our schools
today, because of mechanistic curriculum, a lack of equity in resources and a
backward looking philosophy, fail to provide these things.
Anything short of meeting
this goal will leave our nation at risk- not at risk in an economic sense, but
at risk of not being the vibrant democratic society envisioned by our founding
fathers who recognized and supported the idea of
public education as the bedrock of a democratic community.
Paul Houston is executive
director of the American Association of School Administrators.