"Education Matters" is the monthly newsletter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), an organization dedicated to advancing the American teaching profession through personal growth, professional development, teacher advocacy and protection. This issue of the newsletter includes: (1) The Proficiency Illusion: Some States' Low Expectations Prompt Two Education Observers to See National Standards as the Answer (Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Michael J. Petrilli); (2) Violence in Our Schools (David W. Kirkpatrick); (3) Social Worker Thought Enforcers: Study Declares Social Work Education to Be a National Academic Scandal; and (4) Chilling Academic Freedom: The Story of Emily Brooker. Additional sections include: Signs of the Times; and News from Washington, D.C.