Teacher standards

I understand the reason for educational standards and I also understand why they have been put in place. I do not think standards that are equal for all (as a practical matter) really works for everyone. That aside… for several years following the implementation of NCLB I believed that teaching was becoming less and less professional and creative and more and more scripted and rote.

I believe teachers should be provided overall guidelines on what to teach this year and that every other decision should be up to them. Others who disagree with me think that teachers must be provided with guidelines, goals, objectives, standards, materials, and even lesson plans to ensure that they are learning what they are supposed to be learning.

What side are you on? Why?