Without testing, there is no OBJECTIVE measure of success. To Liberals, the only measure of “success” is the school budget. Despite the rhetoric, they care far more about teacher Unions than about the kids.
That being said, teachers can only do so much. The kids have to show up willing to learn and the parents have to be supportive of learning. I’m sure this will NEVER be the case in many communities. That is why the school budget is almost irrelevant. If this is true, kids will learn—even on a shoestring budget. If its not, all the $$ in the world won’t make a dent.
When education is a preventative measure to starvation, education will be valued, not before.