American education’s failing report card is a national embarrassment for America and a scandal for the nation’s education system.
When it comes to the future of our public schools, there are no easy answers.
The current public debate over test scores is at its most dire when we look at the percentage of students who are proficient in their reading and math. In New Orleans, the district reported a high proficiency rate of 76 percent in both subjects. That is a number that has not been achieved in decades, when we have seen a rise in students who leave the schools without mastering either subject. It is a stunning statistic that shows the schools are still underprepared when it comes to these subjects.
If the school systems did not have the funding they currently do, I believe the statistics would be even more appalling. There are nearly seven million students attending public schools which are facing budgetary cuts. When you look at the demographics of the students in these schools, you would be hard-pressed not to conclude that it is a group that is falling behind in its readiness to take on the tough and demanding world of learning. This has gotten to be a pattern and as the numbers indicate, it is an issue that cannot be ignored.
When it comes to the future of our public schools, there are no easy answers. When it comes to the future of our public schools, there are no easy answers. It is our responsibility, as citizens to ensure that our schools are prepared for the work that will be required of us in the coming decades. It is our responsibility to ensure that the future of our children is not foreclosed from them because of our lack of preparation. It is up to us to ensure that we are preparing our students for the challenges awaiting them in the 21st century.
The current debate about the schools fails to address the issue of what public education looks like when it is run by adults, rather than by the educational bureaucrats of the state and federal levels. We want to ensure that teachers are able to do their jobs without going to the office. The teacher should know that she does not have to do any more work to be respected, but it does take time and effort to be able to make that happen. The teacher should not have to wait for a test to be graded. Teachers should not have to wait for the Department of