The Department of Education has touched off a firestorm over its strategic plan that will judge the achievement of public school students in part by race and ethnicity. The plan, approved by the state Board of Education, calls for 90% of Asian students to be at or above grade level in reading by 2018. It expects Whites to be at 88%, Hispanics at 81% and Blacks at 74%. In math, the board expects 92% of Asian students to be scoring at or above grade level, Whites at 86%, Hispanic students at 80% and Black students at 74%. Students who are Black and Hispanic will be notified that because they are Black or Hispanic, it is expected they will not do as well as the White and Asian students so the standards have been legally lowered for them. Asian and White students on the other hand are told they are to exceed and perform much higher than Black and Hispanic students in order to maintain or have a passing grade. It has been taken to congress and received federal approval by the Obama Administration. White and Asian students are now required to pay their fair share per this new policy.

In your opinion, what are the pros and cons to this new law? For both the students and the future of this nation (if this is passed throughout all states).