Who Is Responsible for Student Achievement?

By David Cantor

It was good to hear President Barack Obama talk about education in his recent State of the Union address . If the United States is going to continue to compete and thrive in the global economy, there simply is no alternative but to improve student learning and achievement.

No doubt, even as the president's words fade into memory, there will once again be great debate over how to accomplish the school improvements we need. After all, what are the policies and programs (the silver bullets) that will ensure kids across the country learn more and stay in school longer?

But there is perhaps an even more important question that fewer people will address: Who is responsible for making sure students achieve...