Federal Federal File

Events Are Afoot as Nation at Risk Anniversary Nears

By Alyson Klein — April 15, 2008 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Education policy wonks are gearing up to commemorate the 25th anniversary next week of A Nation at Risk, the report that memorably warned Americans that their society’s educational foundations were “being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a nation and a people.”

The report—from a commission formed by Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell—is considered a major catalyst for the push for higher standards and other school improvement efforts that began in the 1980s and eventually led to the significantly increased federal role in education at the center of the No Child Left Behind Act.

There was no word as of late last week from the White House or the Department of Education on specific federal plans for marking the anniversary. The report was issued April 26, 1983.

See Also

From the Archives: Review Education Week‘s 20th anniversary of A Nation at Risk, a report whose martial rhetoric and warnings of academic mediocrity have reverberated throughout education policymaking for nearly a generation.

• Also, look for Education Week‘s special collection to mark the 25th anniversary of the landmark report. The collection will go online April 22 at www.edweek.org.

Education Department spokeswoman Samara Yudof said the department does plan to commemorate the occasion, but no details were available at press time.

Other activities tied to the anniversary are scheduled.

The Forum on Education and Democracy, an Athens, Ohio-based research and advocacy organization, is planning an event on April 23 at the National Press Club in Washington. The list of speakers includes some heavy-hitters, such as Milton Goldberg, who as the executive director of Secretary Bell’s National Commission on Excellence in Education helped craft the report, and Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the chairman of the House education committee.

Meanwhile, the Cato Institute, a Washington think tank, was scheduled to hold a forum April 16 titled “Markets vs. Standards: Debating the Future of American Education.”

The libertarian institute said the 1983 report gave momentum to the movements for accountability and school choice. Cato has invited Sol Stern, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a New York City think tank, and John D. Merrifield, an economics professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio and the editor of the Journal of School Choice.

A version of this article appeared in the April 16, 2008 edition of Education Week

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Federal What a National School Choice Program Under President Trump Might Look Like
School choice advocates—and detractors—see a second Trump term as the biggest opportunity in decades for choice at the federal level.
8 min read
President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's Schools," event in the East Room of the White House, on July 7, 2020, in Washington.
President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's Schools," event in the East Room of the White House on July 7, 2020, in Washington. He returns to power with more momentum than ever behind policies that allow public dollars to pay for private school education.
Alex Brandon/AP
Federal Trump's Education Secretary Pick Is Linda McMahon, Former WWE CEO
McMahon led the Small Business Administration in Trump's first term and is co-chair of the president-elect's transition team.
6 min read
Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon speaks during a news conference with President Donald Trump in Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Friday, March 29, 2019.
Then-SBA Administrator Linda McMahon speaks during a news conference with President Donald Trump at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Friday, March 29, 2019. Trump has tapped McMahon to serve as education secretary in his second term.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
Federal What Could RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary Mean for School Vaccine Requirements?
The vaccine skeptic in line to lead the mammoth federal agency could influence schools' vaccine rules, even though they're set by states.
6 min read
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Walker, Mich.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks before President-elect Donald Trump at a campaign event on Sept. 27, 2024 in Walker, Mich. Trump has selected Kennedy to serve as secretary of health and human services in his second term.
Carlos Osorio/AP
Federal Can Trump Force Schools to Change Their Curricula?
Trump's bid to take money from schools that teach "critical race theory" or pass policies for transgender kids raises legal complexities.
9 min read
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks on crime and safety during a campaign event at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Howell, Mich.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks on crime and safety during a campaign event at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Howell, Mich.
Evan Vucci/AP