Twenty-five years ago, the landmark "A Nation at Risk" report put school reform on the front burner and summoned a nation to action. On this important anniversary, AFT president Edward J. McElroy urges Americans to finish what we started:

Twenty-five years ago, the National Commission on Excellence in Education released "A Nation at Risk," an honest but bleak assessment of America's education system. The anniversary undoubtedly will inspire numerous reflections on the report—that it was "important," "bold" and a "wake-up call." And then, if this commemoration is like many others since the report's release, it will be back to business as usual—ignoring the commission's recommendations, flirting with faddish education "reforms," and making shamefully inadequate progress toward addressing the very serious, and very solvable, problems afflicting American education. "A Nation at Risk" sparked a revolution, but that revolution has not been focused or sustained. A quarter century after its call to action, it is time to get back on course.

Many education leaders of the day denounced the report, seeing it as an overly critical attack on public schools that would pave the way for private school vouchers. Then-AFT president Al Shanker's reaction was different. To Shanker, ANAR put education reform on the front burner. Even the name of the report, borrowing the parlance of national security, placed a priority on public education on par with the national defense. And while ANAR was unsparingly critical, Shanker believed that acknowledging problems with public education was a first step to solving them. Shanker's "blessing" gave ANAR credibility and traction.

The scope and pace of reform in the immediate aftermath of the report's release was impressive. ANAR inspired a crop of "education governors" and spurred meaningful reforms in scores of states, such as increased graduation requirements, more rigorous teacher certification and evaluation standards, and increased instructional time.

But this progress has sputtered in fits and starts. The academic standards movement has taken off to the point that every state (up from a handful) has standards for what students should be taught. But many policymakers have spent the past quarter century experimenting with discredited "reforms" such as vouchers, tuition tax credits and privatization. And the federal No Child Left Behind Act, with its focus on testing above all else, has proved a distraction from the real work of school improvement.

There is a growing consensus about what it takes to help all students reach high levels of achievement—both in and out of the classroom. Educators largely agree on the importance of common, knowledge-based curriculums; attracting and retaining high-quality teachers and school staff; early reading instruction and intervention; safe and orderly schools; and intensive assistance to high-poverty schools. But they agree that this is not enough.

Educators recognize the futility of placing the entire burden of improving children's lives on their schools. We must acknowledge that, without equal attention paid to the problems many children deal with outside of the classroom, their progress will always be impeded.

Our nation's economic inequities too often are reflected in our public schools. It's no secret that students in our lowest-performing schools tend to come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and communities. Teachers understand our role in helping all students reach high levels of achievement, but we know that we need significant and sustained assistance. That assistance may come in the form of health services, early childhood enrichment programs or improved school facilities—all of which can help level the playing field. Educators accept our responsibility for the children in our care, but we also demand their right to the keys to fulfill their potential.

It is time to return to the revolution sparked by "A Nation at Risk." Let's do the hard thinking about what students truly need to succeed. Let's bring together the necessary partners to make this goal a reality. Let's devote the resources to give it traction. America once had the will to undertake this hard work. America can and must finish what we started.

April 24, 2008