Where Are the Students in the National Standards Debate?

This question is similar to the question I asked the panel of the Fordham Foundation's debate on national standards today. I asked, Where is there a place for students to be involved in this conversation about national standards? Eugene Hickok made it clear that even if we could muster up the political will to create national standards it would be difficult to get the public to follow along. Why does it seem to me that the public policy is all wrong here? I don't care how things are done now, the best public policy is going to be through a process of the people creating, desiring and understanding the policy. Public policy should be a bottom up process. During this discussion of the public who should be involved in the decision making, teachers, parents, business people, policy makers, education officials -- Not the students.

We need to remember why we are all here, working so hard, everyday. It's for those kids -- not our public policy. Not only should students be involved in the decision making process, but they should not be forgotten in the process of making policy either. Students are real people, not just test-takers.

Here's a point. Many analyst have pointed out that the public doesn't seem to act as if they have ownership over their schools. They act more like "Oh, that's the school ." How does one develop ownership? Now you want to make a policy that again, the public isn't going to feel ownership over. Aren't we right back where we started? Why can't we solve problems that are staring us in the face?