WASHINGTON (February 5, 2009) – Our nation’s educators and students are making important progress. Achievement is rising and the gaps that separate students of color and low-income students from others are narrower than ever. But much work remains to be done. Students in other countries still outperform American students, and our domestic achievement gaps, though narrowing, are still a disgrace and pose serious threats to our long-term national well-being.
The last thing we need right now is for hard-won progress to be derailed by cuts in state and local support for schools.