** “On Thursday, Secretary of State Arne Duncan informed Washington that he was revoking the waiver that had freed it from impossible-to-meet requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), including the quixotic mandate that 100 percent of students be proficient in reading and in math. In return for the waiver, Washington had been required to implement a number of the administration’s preferred education initiatives–and, as Duncan noted in the letter yanking the waiver, the state’s failure to pass one of the required laws, a measure tying teacher evaluations to student performance. Thus, Washington became the first state to lose its waiver. This is a stunning misuse of executive discretion.” ~ Frederick M. Hess, American Enterprise Institute

** “U.S. schools produce large numbers of high-performing science and math students (about one-third of the world’s total in science) but also very large numbers of students with low test scores that partly explain the less-than-stellar U.S. rankings in international comparisons.” ~ USA Today editorial

** “Asian and Asian-American youth are harder working because of cultural beliefs that emphasize the strong connection between effort and achievement. Studies show that Asian and Asian-American students tend to view cognitive abilities as qualities that can be developed through effort, whereas white Americans tend to view cognitive abilities as qualities that are inborn.” ~ Paul Sakuma, AP

** “Concentration, strong recall skills, evolved communication skills and being a good team player are just a few of the benefits research shows music, foreign language, and physical education have on a developing mind. To me, that list reads as one I might put together for a model employee. Shortsightedness from parents who encourage our college-age children to focus on an ’employable’ major, or cutting school funding, has long-terms implications. If we truly care about the future of our kids and our country, we will think twice before cutting programs that will dwarf their (and our) potential.”