I suggest you read John Taylor Gatto's Underground History of American Education for a really close look at why our schools are the way they are:
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/

I finally wrote that blog entry on this subject. It went a direction I didn't intend after I spent some time reading about Sudbury schools. If you're interested: http://29-letters.blogspot.com/2010/03/social-structure-of-schools.html.

I think some of you are confused about the real motives of NCLB and the standardized testing push of the last 20 years or so. Do a little research and you'll be amazed at how many elected officials/families/friends have financial interests in testing companies.

And I really don't think the concept of social justice was considered much when the public school system was established in the US. The simplest answer is one from an early post- it is a system that works (relatively) well for the vast majority of students. The outliers on both ends are hurt by that kind of a system, which is why more flexibility is needed for those kids.

I sense this. I am still in my 20's and look very young. My DD goes to a magnet school which requires parents to apply 8 months before K. Young parents, like me, are less likely to plan ahead for education, so most if not all of the parents in my DD's grade are older than me & many signifianly so.

The first year there was hard for me, because I think I made some of the other mom's uncomfortable. They would unintentionally click together during activities so I had to invite myself over, which I did.
Things are better now, because we have been together for 2 years.
But every once in a while, I still feel like the young, imature, broke, mother as they drive off in their BMWs.
And I also imagine that every once a while I make them feel old or over weight just by being there.

Which is one of the reasons why I like it here. We are equals

I get the same thing being "the young guy" as a teacher (I'm 23 and I've been teaching full-time more than two years). When I was 21 (and still, according to most people, looked 17) and teaching high school, I was given a lot of warnings about how my students weren't going to respect me because of my age. Turned out the students were fine, but the teachers were a different story....