what about just basics, like standard yrly test, benchmarks & standards--shouldn't every 4th grader be held to same standards? If we all have to adhere to No Child Left Behind as federally mandated and influencing so much of our kids' education, shouldn't that part be uniform? I wouldn't want to feds to dictate otherwise, but understand that most school boards are made up of ordinary people rather than professionals. These could vary in effectiveness.