Let me repeat a known fact about public education - its success lies in its failure.

Now why is that, you make ask? Because in order for school systems to obtain more federal and state money. a need has to be demonstrated that in order to bring the system up to some esatblished par, more money is needed. Money for disadvantaged children's breakfasts so their minds can accept whatever knowledge is imparted by their teachers, money for new schools, more money for teachers, extra curricular activities, ad on infinitum.

Of course, more money for teachers means more money for the teacher unions.

A sucessful school system would, of course, leave that system out in the cold (or that particular school, for example). Now I haven't been a teacher in the public school system, but through the process of osmosis, listening to my late wife who was a teacher and later a principal of an elementary and a middle school, I learned a few things about how schools can become successful, without going to the public trough for remedies of school educational failures.

Not in any specific order - since the following items are of equal importance - we have
1) school children wanting to learn
2) parents interested in their children successding in school
2) teachers who are truly interested in the success of their students
4) school administrators more interested in education than their own power building
5) demonstrable education results, such as the abilty to read, write and add, subtract, multiply, and divide
6) teacher unions where needed, and which are more interested in the success of the teachers than in building their own political credentials

It would be nice to live in a ideal world, wouldn't it. But one thing at a time - first kids in school have to learn to be interested in education (of course, some are, but too many are not).  Rather than just have a college education as the goal for children in primary and secondary schools, vo-tech education should once again be a strong part of school systems. Not like they used to be, but as a real force in teaching necessary and useful skills for today's economy. Once the kids learn why reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as history, is pertinent to their ability to make a good living, the desire for an education should reach new heights.