What a stunning indictment (see video on main page) of our educational system and America in general. Not only are 20 percent of the population unable to read this post, but most of them were passed through public schools--as the CNN story says, without being able to read the writing on their diplomas.
Only half of all Americans are competent at the level of what's considered necessary to function in the workplace (in English). It's not clear whether these figures include the millions of illegal aliens, but the numbers are disproportionately tilted towards minorities. In the DC area 1 in 3 adults are functionally illiterate.
America has been throwing tax money at this problem for decades. People make fun of "No Child Left Behind"--I'm in no position to judge its effectiveness but the concept seems appropriate. Our educators simply MUST BE leaving children behind if the data is to be believed.
In the end we can throw all the lottery money in the world at the problem but the buck still stops with the parents or guardians. It's their responsibility to make sure their kids learn and get ready for the world. That's not designed as a hall pass for the National Education Association, but until parents start doing their jobs things aren't likely to improve.
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