As states respond to the pressure of NCLB testing by lowering state standards, parents, citizens, and policymakers are denied basic information about student performance in America's schools. The loss of academic transparency will hinder parents from knowing whether or not their children are learning and will prevent policymakers from judging how well public schools are performing.

Congress must improve NCLB while avoiding the typical Washington tactic of starting all over again when a “new sheriff” comes to town. While Congress is reflecting, the Supreme Court has already spoken concerning education. On June 28, 2007 the Supreme Court ruled that voluntary plans to create racial balance in schools should stop.

When I first heard the news I was upset, believing that this was a major reversal of one of the cornerstones of civil rights legislation. Upon reflection, however, I realized that the Supreme Court decision was an indictment against a system of forced, racial integration that is not truly serving the current needs the average kid. What is needed today is not just a Supreme Court ruling but a positive plan to urgently change the structure of education. Kids of all races are in academic danger. Black and Hispanic children are especially vulnerable.

The National Center for Education statistics tell us that the majority of white kids go to schools that are predominately white and large numbers of black kids go to predominately black schools. Today racial separation in various neighborhoods is not by government fiat or prejudice - it is by choice.

In Prince George’s County, Maryland, where I pastor, we enjoy the status of being America’s wealthiest, predominately black county. Unfortunately, our school system is one of the worst in the region. In a community in which million dollar homes and Mercedes Benz are common place, quality educational programs in the schools are rare. The poor performance of students cannot be blamed on segregation alone.

In a recent meeting with Secretary Spellings of the Department of Education, she underscored the urgent needs of children of color. Citing the fact that 50% of black males do not graduate from high school on time, Spellings emphatically stated that her goal is to bring measurable results to inefficient schools. The achievement gap between black and white children is closing at the elementary school level, yet there remains a huge problem at the high school level.

During the days of the Brown VS Board of Education decision, only 24% of blacks under the age of thirty had finished high school. Today that number has grown significantly - 86.3% of black adults aged 25-29 have graduated from high school. Unfortunately this lags the 93.4% graduation rates of whites. Why are these numbers important? Educational standards have gradually been watered down over the years. Blacks and Hispanics who do not substantively progress beyond high school, will never achieve economic equality with whites.

Imagine an America in which teachers know how to deal with discipline problems, understand the culture, and help kids master basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic. These are the changes that America needs. Unfortunately neither the Supreme Court, the Congress, or the President alone, can make American education competitive. We need a concerted team effort.

Let’s get involved in the education of the kids we love! And let’s refuse to support politicians without substantive plans to improve education.