Ah, Nirvana! The perfect solution to upgrading Colorado's public schools has rescued us from educational collapse. Now we can lounge in our comfortable chairs, click on the tube and enjoy our days, free from fretting over failure. We need only await those school report cards to fix our schools. That doesn't require anything from us.

But, wait a minute. What do we really have here in this much-touted educational reform package? Precious little. We have more testing, which, up to a point, is positive. Testing is both an accountability tool and a way to measure a student's progress. It loses its benefits, however, when teachers feel forced to teach only for those tests, leaving out other subjects and skills.

We have school report cards that will let us know instantly whether our schools are succeeding or failing. But what will that really tell us? That suburban schools that almost always do well are still doing well? That inner city schools that struggle with the enormous social problems of many of their students are still struggling?

We have rewards and incentives for school improvement. I think that's great, as long as it's new money, not dollars from the pot that funds all our schools. We also have penalties for failing schools-less money. Does that seem odd--taking away resources from the poorest schools? They may need changes and improvements in management, in teachers, in materials, but how do they do this with less money?

We now have the opportunity to turn under-performing schools into charter schools. I am a fan of charter schools. They offer parents choice in public education. But, let's not delude ourselves into thinking that they are the solution to public school problems. Many charter schools are struggling themselves. They have management and funding problems, curriculum disputes and unhappy parents, just like all schools. Some are successful; some are not. Charter schools are an option for some, not a cure-all for all.

So, let's see. How does this new law really improve education? Does it solve the critical problems of children coming to school hungry, abused, stoned, scared? Does it give children from homes without books, conversation, love and hope access to these essential elements of a healthy life? Does it teach children English or help their non-English-speaking parents learn English so they can assist their children?

Going further, does this bill help property poor school districts maintain and repair crumbling schools or build new ones? Does it help them buy the computers, science equipment and textbooks their students need to succeed in a competitive world? Does it provide teachers with the skills they need to master all the new technology, to understand an increasingly diverse student body or to help students do better on all these new tests?

We need to ask ourselves what really makes some schools fail and others succeed. This education reform package doesn't do the basic research, much less respond to the issues. Most of Colorado's public schools do an excellent job of educating our kids. Whether you look in the suburbs with plenty of money and very supportive parents or rural areas where schools are the heart of their communities, you'll find the vast majority of schools succeeding. We need to look at why.

For one thing, parent and community involvement in public schools makes a big difference. When parents support and encourage their children in their learning, when communities form educational foundations to buy the extras that enhance education, when businesspeople spend time in classrooms helping kids understand the world around them, schools succeed.

When districts offer training and incentives for their teachers, provide adequate materials and safe buildings, deliver strong management and require accountability, schools succeed. When teachers are well-educated and valued as professionals, schools do well.

In short, successful schools take a lot of work. Excellence doesn't come easily or cheaply. It requires a commitment from all of us. We shouldn't be lulled into thinking that report cards will foster excellence or relieve us of our responsibilities to support our public schools. They may provide grades, but they don't provide answers to what ails us.