Standards: Standards Times 50

"If there is a conflict between the Texas standards and the national standards, this is Texas. And, by God, we would choose Texas standards." --Geoffrey Fletcher, acting executive deputy commissioner for curriculum, assessment, and professional development in the Texas Education Agency.

The U.S. Constitution makes it clear: States bear the responsibility for educating their citizens. They decide how long students continue their education and how the schools are financed. They control what is taught, what is tested, which textbooks are used, and how teachers are trained.

Thus, despite all the talk about national education standards, it is the 50 individual states that ultimately will determine what students should know and be able to do. If there was any doubt of that, last fall's elections settled it. The Republicans who won majorities in both houses of Congress are calling for less federal intrusion in...