For far too long, our public school system has been failing in
its mission to produce graduates who are ready for the next
stage of their lives, whether that's entering the work force or
seeking higher education. The vast majority of public school
graduates are ready for neither -- only 12 percent are
proficient in reading, only 6 percent are proficient in language
and 1 percent meet the proficiency level for math. The
government and the community have allowed the quality of public
education to erode. The focus simply hasn't been on what our
public schools must provide children to ensure they learn, grow
and succeed. There's been more focus on catering to the demands
of teachers. Education spending has been reduced to spread
limited revenues among all agencies, instead of making needed
cuts to the cost of the government. Public schools are becoming
places where students who have support and resources outside of
the school succeed. Those who have to depend solely on what
schools provide them face a much more d