What is happening in the workplace, in the home, and in the minds of Americans already is affecting public education, and it makes the task of educating teachers all the more important. Indeed, there have been few periods in American history when socioeconomic conditions have worked so much against educational success. The increase of drug use, crime, gangs, and teen pregnancies complicates greatly the work of educators. These maps are used in transferring students from one school to another. School officials have learned that transferring students into hostile, gang-controlled areas can cost students their lives.
Similar problems exist nationwide.
Approximately 135,000 American children bring a gun to school each day. Each month, over 5,000 teachers are attacked in American schools. The society we have constructed has given us the education we deserve. The schools are inappropriately burdened with parental responsibilities because mom and dad are out working in the lower-wage economy. Probably most Americans would disagree with Gardels' position that the problem with our schools is not so much a problem of education as it is the result of serious socioeconomic changes sweeping the nation.