Some Thoughts on a Strategy for Attaining Excellence in American Education.

Overview & Synopsis

Responding to the National Commission on Excellence in Education's report on the status of education in the United States, Secretary of Education, T. H. Bell, addresses six questions: (1) Given that the Commission discussed the federal, state, local, parental, and student roles and responsibilities, who should take the lead in education? (2) How can we do violence to the "status quo" on the local grassroots level? (3) What is the federal responsibility? (4) How shall we finance the sweeping reforms called for by the National Commission? (5) How do we solve the teacher competence problem? and (6) What is the role of higher education in promoting excellence? Besides answering these questions, Secretary Bell also concludes by offering 12 challenges to states, universities, parents, communities, and professional organizations. (JMK)