[eastacademic1518]

A major problem in education is perception.You start with some assumptions and other posters enforce those - the key is alot of it is perception. We are all invested in our schools - we went to them, we base our votes on them, many of us have children within them.China and India (and most of the other nations we are often compared to) do *not* educate every child. We are not a homogeneous nation as some others on lists are. If you are a child from rural china - there is no chance you could grow up to be a propulsions engineer. Pick any rural area in the US, if the child has the drive and willingness - he can. To discount the huge numbers of Engineers, Doctors, Mathemeticians, Physicists, Aviation and Aerospace specialists.....name hundreds of others....*all* produced by our education system... is a sad mistake. We DO produce the best in the world. We also have a system where personal responsibility is the key to success.No one discounts the dropout rate exists. The reasons are complex and are often things that society is not willing to tackle. There are no simple answers to complex problems. Those dropouts have reasons that vary often *to the person*. A latest PDK gallup poll asks americans to rank their schools. 70 % ranked their local schools an "A or B"Why so high?? Everyone knows our schools stink! How could this possibly be??!! A follow up question reveals the true reason for the wide spread belief of our failing schools.rank schools not in your area? 16 % A or BThat is it! How can my local schools be the best while your schools stink? perception - politicians make it an easy selling point - country rank lists that compare apples to oranges.We are unique - If we want to do something about the problems we know we have - we need to tackle bigger issues than what happens between 8 and 2:30 in that classroom.