[EagleUSA]

achievement gap in education that separates African-American youngsters from white youngsters, you know we haven’t done enough yet...
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Well, in a way, she is right. The state and federal governments have NOT GOTTEN TOUGH on schools, the UNIONS, and scholastic standards. Teachers should be tested -- something the UNIONS here in Calif. are fighting tooth and nail -- to continue to have protection from standards of performance. Incompetence abounds. Yes, we have not done enough -- not enough getting serious and tough about education on those REESPONSIBLE FOR IT.

[Ninian Dryhope]

"The state and federal governments have NOT GOTTEN TOUGH on schools, the UNIONS, and scholastic standards."

True, but doing so would not diminish the gap, it would probably increase it, but it would raise the achievement of all groups.

[teenyelliott]

Our entire country is slowly catering to the lowest common denominator.

My children go to public schools. They are suburban, rather than inner-city districts, so they are not as bad . . .yet.

I put no faith in socialized education, especially now that our public schools are being flooded with immigrants who do not speak English, which takes even more time and money away from American children.

Even if we had the best teachers in the world, all the testing we could come up with would not do a thing regarding the fact that many teachers these days are faced with more and more children who are disruptive and disrespectful, and the teachers have to spend more and more of their time trying to "reason" with these kids rather than teach the smart kids who behave. They cannot discipline the kids, for fear of being fired or sued.

Our schools are deteriorating because of a deterioration in our social fabric, not because we have crappy teachers.

In the end, if your fourth grader can't read, it is your fault, not the teachers.