The Huffington Post – William H. Schmidt
“The ultimate test of an educational system is whether it makes sure that every student, whatever their background, is exposed to the content they need to compete in today’s society. U.S. schools are failing this most basic test, and in the process wasting the talents of millions of American children — children from all backgrounds. The reality is that, for most students, the education they receive is largely based on chance, making academic opportunities into a kind of lottery — one with profound consequences…Despite the tremendous challenge of ensuring equal opportunity to learn mathematics, I believe there is reason for optimism. The new Common Core State Standards in Mathematics, for example, presents an excellent chance for implementing high-quality standards.” (more)