The reason why our public schools are producing a "Crummy Workforce" is because they no longer reward excellence. They believe that by rewarding one person as the best in class is damaging to the self esteem of everyone else.
This type of approach in the classroom results in mediocrity at best and a sense of feeling that why try to be the best in your class, when a passing grade is judged no different than a perfect score
New York State lowered the passing grade for regents to something like 55. Soon it will be zero.