Twenty-five years after the release of the controversial report, “A Nation at Risk”, the sides are still drawn and many feel we are indeed at risk if we do not see fundamental change to the approach taken by NCLB.

One key figure, Rep. George Miller, Chair of the House Education Committee was quoted this week as saying: “This is exactly the right time to pause at the end of this administration and at the beginning of the next administration and rethink the federal role in K-12 education” (see David Hoff’s blog)

A report issued this week by the Forum for Education and Democracy offers what it characterizes as a “roadmap for federal policy”. Linda Darling-Hammond, of Stanford University and co-author of the report, says, While other countries have made strategic investments and transformed their schools to produce results, we have demanded results without investing in or transforming schooling.” The new role suggested by the report should include fully funding federal commitments to low-income students, investing on a “Marshall plan” for teachers and school leaders, refocusing research on educator’s needs, and deepening community ties to their schools.

Democracy at Risk:The Need for a New Federal policy in Education