American Education’s Downward Spiral

As if there weren’t enough evidence that our educational system is failing our youth, a recent survey by Achieve, a national not-for-profit focused on education reform, found that neither university professors nor employers believe that American public high schools are preparing students for the expectations they’ll face in college or in their careers.

The sad fact is that, compared to 2004, the assessment is even more dismal. More than a decade ago, for example, only 28 percent of college instructors stated that schools were doing an adequate job of readying students for what would come after high school. That figure is down to 14 percent in 2015. Among employers, 49 percent in 2004 said that schools were adequately preparing students for what they would need for work; in 2015, the count was 29 percent.

America’s greatness is in serious danger. No, not because of some external threat. Not because as a nation we are economically bankrupt. America’s place in the world is being challenged by a broken educational system. This is not the space to get into the many reasons why this is so. Suffice it to say, we are failing our young by denying them the type of education that fosters a love of learning and prepares them to become effective workers and informed citizens.

Republican conservatives have no problem, or shame, in talking about “American Exceptionalism.” They do this in the face of a plethora of evidence showing otherwise. They do this while at the same time slashing educational spending to make way for more tax cuts for the wealthy. A good way to begin solving our educational crisis is to vote for only those politicians who recognize the problem and have solutions to solve it.

Thomas Jefferson wrote that a well-informed electorate is a prerequisite to democracy.

For the sake of our nation, this ship needs to be turned around … fast.