Half of Americans say U.S. schools are doing only a fair to poor job preparing kids for college and the work force. Even more feel that way about the skills kids need to survive as adults, an Associated Press poll released Friday finds.
[From The Raw Story | Poll: Schools not properly preparing kids]
Here, the school system is coming apart at the seams. There is a massive budget shortfall; teachers are leaving in droves (I don't know any of them personally but when any organization implodes it loses its best people first); there is not one single K-12 principal left; the just-hired superintendent faces next year on a "interim" contract. Students are opting into neighboring districts, allowed under a state law that also requires the home district - this one - to pay tuition to districts the kids move to.
Meanwhile, standardized testing requires teaching only certain subjects - art, shop, home ec, music, and all sorts of extra-curricular programs are shutting down. The middle school will have no library next year, as things stand now.
This isn't the only community in the state with a pressing schools problem, nor are schools the only services strangling - fire and police protection is substantially reduced, roads are crumbling, bridges closed, and more. And not much help, as far as I can see, in sight.
Alas.
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