We respond to the noises around us and ignore the real dangers that are far too often silent. Our critics have made much over the deterioration of public education. In fact, it has become a cottage industry. We are not as good as we once were. School people are lazy and uncaring.
Test scores are down or stagnant.
Schools are not safe. The only solution is competition or high-stakes tests or doing away with social promotion or bringing in the generals to straighten out the mess. Better Than Ever The fact is that schools are better than ever at carrying out their traditional mission. More kids today are completing high school and going on to college than ever before. Test scores actually are a positive story because they have been renormed upward several times in the last few decades, and children who take the tests are younger than previous generations.