There are two important education issues, both with money. First, K-12 teachers need to be paid more. Although some states pay teachers well, some don't. If this isn't corrected, there will be a lot of potential teachers who want to teach but will have a hard time being able to afford with the pay they get. Second, college tuition is going up too high. There needs to be something done to stop this trend.The tough thing is, how to solve both of these problems. (As a side note, what's with all of the theocrats posting here now?)

Let's face it.....as a whole, the publice school system is a joke. It's a proven fact that kids who go to a private school are more educated in almost every subject, have higher IQs and grade point averages than the most decorated public school student, and have high SAT scores to back their GPAs. If you want a quality education where your child(ren) will actually learn something, you have to pay for it today.

The school system in many areas has become an indoctrination academic wasteland. Ever since the parents have been driven out of the decision making process and strangers have taken over, nothing but rubbish has dominated their so-called education programs. My solution is to create a 'Parent Board' and dispose of the school board. Many school board members have no children in the school district in which they preside and those that do, sometimes send their kids to another school, especially in urban districts. We can't blame the parents entirely considering how parents have been pushed out of the loop, they can't even go into a school and see what's happening in class. The parents work all day and trust that the gov't is doing their best. Where the parents fail is putting their trust in strangers and a political system that has alterative motives. We spend more per student than in any other time in history and the students are getting worse. The problem lies with those we have trusted. Therefore, those who do not have a vested interest in our children's lives, must be removed from the educational process. Think about the old days, when a group of parents would get together hire a teacher and build a small one room school house. Their results were amazing, the writing quality of those students then surpasses that of our teachers today. They didn't even have pencils or in many cases books for everyone, just a chalkboard and a single teacher who taught all grades. The difference was that the teacher was accountable to the parents, now they are accountable to their union. The 'Parent Board' will fix today's out of control educators and place the people with the most to lose directly in charge of their children's education. And all those strangers who want to twist the minds of our youth with their social engineering and false doctrines, will have to stand on the outside looking in, as it is for the parents now.

For those who may be confused about this topic, it's not separation of church and state. It's education, and education is THE most important thing in our nation right now. Even though the congress it cutting down school spending so much, it's pretty much dwindling to nothing. Knowledge is the one thing that we as humans are undoubtedly entitled to and that is what separates us from the rest of uncivilization. No, school may not be the funnest thing in the world, but without it, where would we be? Where would we, as the strongest nation in the entire planet be? We set the standards for other nations and to put petty things above the simple right children-people, period- have to learn is absolutely disgraceful. And to everyone who would give this catagory a 1-if you weren't educated, where would YOU be? How would you be? You wouldn't be able to write such long impassioned comments, now would you? I just cannot stress how important this is. It is the basis for everything. How do we fight terrorism? How do we save the environment?, how do we effectively run a freaking government? Through learning. Through knowledge. And through acceptance-which is something learned.

I agree with TheFreak. I am 14 years old and a freshman in high school. I have been going to public schools all my life. The thing about private schools is- they claim to be non-biased, but they do force their religion upon others- an action that I despise.

Noah, you need to open your eyes and take a good look at me. I have been educated in the public schools all my life, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. And Noah? There's this thing used in most school shootings that you seem to be speaking for. It's known as a gun. If any of you are currently in the private/parochial schools, you don't know what you are missing out on. I value education above almost anything, and that is why I REFUSE to be put in a private fool school. Take care, everyone.

I think that more and more kids drop out of school each year, I mean you go to school to learn so you can be smarter and get a better job and have a nice life. People that usually didn't finish school can't have the high payin jobs because they ask for a daploma!

We must be heard…A mind is truly a terrible thing to waste. Not because its lack of development is to our own detriment, but because it is truly a gift of God, given to us to understand His will and teachings. Education’s core foundation is the true desire to learn and understand beyond the mind’s scope of today with each day being the step to the next days learning. This does not come from T.V., actors, artist, politicians, from the back of a cereal box, or even from any form of public or private education. It comes from within; it comes from seeking the truth. Our public school system is not a joke it is plain pitiful and it is our own fault. In days of old, there were a few key people in town who all that lived there honored and showed respect: The Preacher, School Teacher, Sheriff, and Mayor. Today, teachers barely rank better than second-class citizens. We expect them to correct all the problems we have caused at home with poor parenting along with the sociological problems caused by influence of the entertainment industry, drugs, and anything else that has damaged our children’s minds. For this we pay them next to nothing and take the help of God out of the classroom. We as citizens have allowed God, and quality to be removed from our classrooms due to our own complacency. We have stood by and said it is ok to not learn and make good grades as long as people graduate. We have said as long as we do not offend anyone and we treat everyone the same it really does not matter if they can read or write, as long they feel good. We have left the burden of education on the teachers and Government and have not been proactive to understand what our children are being taught. We have allowed their text books to be watered down and muddled with joy, joy, feel good garbage. Then we teach them that we only exist because there was a great cosmic accident, therefore there is no God and no purpose in life other than to grow up, try to be successful, and then die. Oh, and by the way you will never be successful because that is retained for the top 5% and we will continue to raise the bar so you will never catch up. Why should we care, why should education be our concern, that is their job right? No, it is our responsibility as parents to ensure our children’s success. It is our responsibility as parents to ensure our children’s future. I am not a teacher, but I do know if my children can spell, read, and write. I know if they need help, and I look at the subjects they are being taught on a regular basis, not just every six weeks when the report card comes out. I do not blame the State or Federal Government if they fall behind, I ask them and their teacher what I can do to help. Remember the only way the Government knows how to fix problems is by spending your money. They have the funds to run a quality system, they do not need more money, they need our involvement. The “for the people, by the people” statement, that is us folks. Yes, I think we can have a better education system, I think it can be greatly improved, but we have to help. We have to take some of the burden on ourselves and not continue to load more on to a system that is already overloaded. I hear people complain about inner-city schools and how bad they are. These are simply buildings; do you think the building turned itself into what you are complaining about? The school, the education, is the organization within and the support of the total learning process. Pouring more money into a bad situation is not the answer; you must focus on the social issues that are causing the deterioration. If you want your schools and education back than take it back. It is up to you to learn, it is up to you to find the truth. I do not care who is in the White House; they are never going to tell you the truth because they do not believe you want to hear the truth. They will take more money out of your check each week, raise your property taxes, then pat you on the back, and say they will try to do better. You know what, that is just not good enough. We need more people standing up and saying I have a solution versus I have a problem. And I will tell you; we need God back in our classrooms. I cannot find one thing that has improved since He left. There is a noise that has risen to the point of drowning out the truth. It is symbolic of our country and world, individual education and learning is no longer important, only fantasy and entertainment. The voices of those offering and searching for truth can now barely be heard over the roar of the oceans seeking to silence the very thing they are afraid to hear and search for themselves. If you are truly searching for truth, you will find it. Don’t except the first answers you receive, even if they sound correct. Challenge the answers, not to argue to but to solidify for yourself that you have found truth. “CastleBee” was right, they cannot win. We must stand against those determined to maintain status quo and a life of comfortable complacency; our voices must be heard.

"bdram" is right on the mark. Our public schools are nothing more than federally sponsored, atheistic propoganda outlets whose sole purpose is to push the government lie. How else can you account for a "curriculum" in which the Founding Fathers, and America's traditional values by extension, are bad, masturbation, promiscuity and homosexuality are good, guns and the right to self defense are evil, and everything under the sun is to be tolerated with the notable exception of God and Christianity? Gee, I wonder why there are so many school shootings? ABOLISH THE PUBLIC FOOL SYSTEM.

I rate the system a 2, not based on what it is, but what it could be. A superior education system could be answer to all of societies woes and I beleive the current system falls horribly short. It only makes sense that to challenge and expand ones mind is the way to solve problems and bring people together. Ignorance breeds nothing but poverty, hatred, bigotry, and hopelessness. I applaud bdram's statement "ignorance is the precept for an enemy to establish its' policies in an entire nation". I find it very sadening that a large cross section of the public doesnt take the interest it should in politcs and then have the nerve to complain about it. I am not a well educated person, (some college) but I am enough to realize its one of this countries most important problems and possibly one its most hopeful cures.

How can anyone say that smaller classes do not bear on the outlook of how well a child does in education? The more children, the less 1 to 1 s/he gets with the teacher - and that can't be good. What if the child feels they need to talk to the teacher or raise a question? What about textbooks - is there enough to go round if there is a class of 30+. Not all schools receive the funding they need. Surely thats common sense? I can't actually comment on the US in regards to education or anything like that as I am not a US citizen. I just hope my above viewpoint is seen as valid.

School choice is the new civil rights movement; nothing would help inner city minority kids more than the ability to opt out of failing public schools. Its shameful to see how the Democratic Party has retreated behind the teacher's unions, who see education policy as a "jobs program" and not about helping children achieve their potential. It was especially galling to see Lieberman, who had been pro-School Choice, parrot the NEA/ATF's talking points during the fall campaign. Bush's plan is very flawed in my estimation, but at least it paves the way for competition, and avoids the nonsense about "smaller class sizes" (absolutely no correlation with improved outcomes) and the other empty PR campaigns that dominated the Clinton years.