A recent article on EdWeek.org points out that "The recession tearing into the U.S. economy is not only straining the public coffers that support K-12 schooling, it’s also taking a toll on education philanthropy."  On balance, this is clearly not good news.  However, there may be a silver lining in these storming clouds.

We've all heard the phrase "necessity is the mother of invention".  The academic performance of American students compared to their foreign counterparts is surely the driving force in the push for federal education reform.  But the shrinking fiscal pie is affecting the nature of the reform.  As resources grow increasingly scarce, accountability is becomes increasingly important in the minds of would-be funders.  While it is vital that the content of the education system serves the needs of future generations, it is a demand for and realization of data-driven accountability that will enable the success of these efforts.

While it is difficult to label a decline in resources a good thing, the growing demand for accountability of our nation's education system is certainly a welcomed by product.