Fine line for feds on school accountability

President Bush signed his landmark education bill this week, taking the first step toward an overhaul of public education in this country.

With some inner-city schools on the brink of chaos and little learning going on in others, a change is appropriate. The new law holds schools accountable by threatening a withdrawal of federal funding.

But many questions remain. The Bush bill revolves around standardized math and reading testing for every public school student in this country in grades three through eight.

What questions will be on the test? Will they cover the basics?

What about coordination between state and federal testing? Will teachers have to now coordinate lesson plans for two different tests in the course of a year? How much is too much?

It behooves parents, educators and all interested in the future of this nation's children to watch closely developments in the Bush plan.