It reminded me that A Nation At Risk was published nearly 30 years ago. (29th Anniversary is next month)  The report famously stated:

“If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves.”

The educational standards in our country have been eroding for too long, and hundreds-of-thousands of students have needlessly suffered.

The bills that passed today are the culmination of literally decades of work. Not weeks or months, or even years, but decades.

D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Recipients Ronald Holassie and Carlos Battle speak out at a May 6, 2009 rally. Hollasie delivers a 7,400-name petition to the office of Mayor Adrian Fenty; Battle recites portions of his poem, “Surrender Me.”

This ad is on the inside cover of the 2009 LA Press Association Guides.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday that poor children getting vouchers to attend private schools in the District of Columbia should be allowed to stay there, putting the Obama administration at odds with Democrats trying to end the program.

He said that he “opposes vouchers” but also that:

“I don’t think it makes sense to take kids out of a school where they’re happy and safe and satisfied and learning,” Duncan told said. “I think those kids need to stay in their school.”

This fight is far from over, but this is definitely a good start. The complete article is at US schools chief wants DC kids to keep vouchers.