A Nation at Risk

This article was an interesting time piece. Even though it was written 25 years ago, many points are still relevant. This report was initially produced to urge America to examine the education system and push for reform. It is about a need to recommit to high quality education for all students.
This article pointed out that other nations were surpassing the accomplishments of Americans and beginning to lead the way in the world. The authors backed up this claim with many statistics and background information. It is declared, with much alarm, that the generation present at press will not surpass their parents level of knowledge, but will not even meet it.
The piece continuities and explains to the reader that we have many raw materials to work with to reach the goal in sight. Among these tools are the youth, their parents, and the dedication of teachers. The public is urged to make a commitment to education for the better of the society as a whole.

From there, the article moves into recommendations.
A is content. There needs to be a universal content taught so that students are all equipped with the same base of knowledge.
B is standards and expectations. The stakes need to be raised and academics in America need to be more rigorous.
C is time. Students need more time for learning, including the possibilities of more homework, a longer school year (200 - 230 days) and 7 hour days.
D is teaching. Teachers need more incentives and better preparation for their profession.
E is leadership and fiscal support. Basically, leadership needs to be top notch and citizens need to make education a fiscal priority.

"A Nation at Risk" wraps up with encouraging words and tones of the American "can do spirit". America has triumphed through adversity before, and our frightening decline in quality education is just another hurdle we will be able to face.

I thought this was a very interesting piece. While I didn't agree with some of the points (especially those under time) it was well-written and clear. I was impressed that 18 months were spent crafting this plea to America, but disappointed that many of the things cited in the text are still things we struggle with today. Yes, we have come a long way from the courses on dating practices and borrowing the car, but we still have a long way to go. I think some of the changes have been implemented, but clearly many more have been overlooked. I'm wondering what the general reaction was when this piece first hit the public. It seems like it should have had a great impact and raised many alarms.