In addition to deterioration in the psychosocial, cultural, and economic lives of children, there is another factor at play in the poor school performance of many students. That factor is tenure. Students' scores will rise if we eliminate tenure for both teachers and administrators. Too many educators today are too comfortable in their jobs. If the deadwood in the schools could be eliminated without the long, costly process that is now required, we'd see the difference in scores more quickly.
Tenure gives unfair rights to the incompetent at all levels.
I find the same faults myself. However, I am not as sure as he seems to be that I know the source of the ills we writing teachers must attempt to cure. Generally speaking, the writing of literate Americans is pretty bad. It is muddy, backward, and self-strangled. It is a rare student who can write what he has to say with simplicity, lucidity, and euphony.