Gadfly tends to give AFT President Randi Weingarten a (deserved) hard time, so when she does something praiseworthy his antennae perk up. So it was this week, when she took a strong stand for national standards in the Washington Post. "[E]very child attending U.S. public schools should be taught to high standards, regardless of where he or she lives," she opined. We agree. But how to get from here to there? An idea: Start with the big cities. Let them secede from their respective state accountability systems and band together under a national umbrella. Big cities already tend to be hot spots for reform and many of their superintendents already favor national standards. Furthermore, Randi's AFT tends to be the union in their systems. With all these players on board, these metropolises could pave the way. So, Randi, what say you to that?
"The Case for National Standards," by Randi Weingarten, Washington Post, February 16, 2009