Eschew Obfuscation

A few years ago, a friend loaned me an 8th grade Latin primer from 1907. I figured I would teach myself a bit of Latin (that's right folks, I bite off more than I chew). My problem was not the Latin. The English lesson at the beginning was enough to make me quit.
Don't get me wrong, English is my first language.

Now, I graduated salutatorian of my class. I make good grades even now that I am the "old guy" in college. I like to think that I am of average intelligence. But an 8th grade lesson in English was beyond my comprehension. Now I know why it was a big deal that my grandfather graduated from High School.

Public education in America is ranked 50th in the world. -Interestingly enough, I don't know how many countries there are...

I hate to say it, but we have to make life a little tougher on our kids, at least academically. Imagine a high school with modern technology and a curriculum as tough as it was in the early 20th century. As a nation, we would be unstoppable.

We need to find a way to triple our education budget, and spend an EQUAL AMOUNT PER STUDENT. Forget standardized testing. Some kids will be left behind. Some will do fine. What does a college degree really mean if everyone can get one, anyway?

The best and brightest are being held back by political correctness. "No child left behind" is a rediculous concept. Do we think for a moment that the people who came up with that little sound bite actually send their kids to public school? Do we believe that all students posses an equal ability to learn? Aren't we just lowering the bar?

We need better books, tougher curriculum, and more structure. We need to put more stress on the importance education. The children of America deserve the best education that we can offer. They need to be as smart as possible so they can clean up all the messes we're leaving them.

Recommended Reading: Anything written before 1930.