It still is. Public education in this country is a dismal failure. Johnny can't read and Susie can't spell. Willie can't write and Alice can't add. Teacher competency is down.
Administrative effectiveness is down.
Student advancement is down. Test scores are down. As many as 90 million adults in this country are functionally illiterate. SAT score comparisons reveal an unbroken decline from 1963 to the present. Average verbal scores have fallen over fifty points and mathematics scores have dropped nearly forty points.