The head of the State Education Department urges school administrators not to fear change or question why it has to come now. State Education Commissioner Kent King recalls the story of Noah – who did not worry about the weather forecast, but instead immediately started building an ark. That, says King, is what is facing Missouri education. A new funding formula, new demands for student competency, and new requirements for graduation. He says it’s not the job of the schools to ask, “Why now?” He says it’s the job of schools to act. King says it’s easy to build schools that don’t challenge students and increase dropout rates. But King says that’s not why children go to school. He says schools can’t wait for a time when conditions are ideal for changes to be made because Missouri’s children will not be better educated if that’s what happens. He says it’s the responsibliity of the schools to act, not waste time questioning why they should act.