The last two presidential administrations have repeatedly and utterly failed at formulating a successful nationwide approach concerning educational standards. Hopefully the expression “third time’s the charm” will describe President Barack Obama’s recent “Common Core State Standards Initiative” proposal for implementing and improving such standards.

However, the track record shows this is a very daunting task. It has eluded both presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, as I think it’s safe to say the No Child Left Behind Act was a complete failure.

First of all, the act should have mandated that all states provide a uniform test pertaining to math and English. It doesn’t take a genius to comprehend that in a federal system like the United States, there must be unwavering government support for education. Although states ought to have a degree of control, they must not hinder the entire nation’s ability to educate its citizens.

In a world that is becoming increasingly globalized, America cannot afford to continue on the path it’s been following.

Leaving education under state control has adversely affected children K-12 since the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2002. For example, according to The Washington Post, repeated attempts at instituting “voluntary national standards” has led to lowered standards by individual states, as a result of underperforming schools. Interestingly enough, this proposal was initiated by the governors and state school chiefs of the majority of the states.

The most recent education program stands to rectify the endemic problem present in schools throughout the country and, hopefully, make America the leader in innovation in the long run.

A country that once prided itself on its educational system should not simply pretend to offer fair and equal opportunity for success for all its citizens. To earn a decent living, a high school and college degree are indispensable. We can no longer simply pay lip service to this, and that’s why the government has to promote these new standards. If nothing is done and our K-12 programs remain neglected, sooner or later even our higher educational institutions will begin to lag.

It’s truly scary to imagine how low the caliber of high school graduates entering our colleges and universities will be in the decades to come if the status quo remains the same.

To address teachers’ concerns with issues of flexibility in teaching their curriculum, these proposed standards would be more like guidelines than austere orders. In a time when partisan rancor has engulfed Congress on virtually every issue, this scheme stands as one of the exceptions. This has the opportunity to be the first educational reform that finally gives state educators a coherent and dependable agenda to work with.

Needless to say, it is somewhat naive to believe that this plan will fix everything. While a reliable national framework is certainly beneficial, teachers and schools will also have to be held accountable for their actions. If they don’t fulfill their duties, they’ll have to suffer the consequences. Just because an institution is public does not mean it should be immune from closing down, nor should their teachers be immune from being fired.

Even states’ rights advocates know that where one lives has a huge correlation with success later on in life. The standard is available for your viewing pleasure at www.corestandards.org.