As a lifelong teacher, I find this most interesting. The key point in the article is the Arkansa teacher's question about a well-rounded education versus teaching for a job. The film Dead Poets' Society dealt with this very ably. I can't imagine how one could 'teach' a list of plants or insulation standards. Teachers will come to resemble Mr Gradgrind. (Dickens' 'Hard Times') I do hope America won't go down the same road as the National Curriculum here in UK. I taught for many years (fortunately) with complete freedom to teach what I chose from a broad structure. Then the straitjacket was donned. I ended up with a class of delightful eight year-olds and was forced to present The Depression and The Abdication to them. We should rather have been having fun dressing up as Knights of Old or Victorian chimney sweeps. 'English' now consists of Literacy Hour, involving dipping into short texts and extracts, a practice I deplore. The Authorities need to decide exactly what it is they define as Education. Children aren't factory fodder.