Like Kriston and others have said, the schools are supposed to be educating students, and they aren't. The minimum- standards based approach and focusing only on what's on the test are destroying the educational system for everyone.
And that just sucks!
I agree that there are real problems with the system. I dislike NCLB as much as anyone.
But I guess I wouldn't go this far. My DS is getting a much better education than I did. The demographics of his district are similar to where I grew up. My DS likes school and is getting a good education. It is a poor community, but they try do do the best with what they have. For example, they put a priority on music. The teachers go out of their way to put history and geography in the curriculum, even when it is not mandated. Our school board does a good job of supporting the teachers and parents. Perhaps they are doing a good job in spite of a broken system, I don't know, but I doubt they are the only ones.
I mention all this, not because I don't think there are things wrong, sometimes seriously wrong, with the schools, but because I get a little nervous around overgeneralizations.
