Rewind
1981 “U.S. schools have chronically been in crisis,” Newsweek reported. As standards softened and budgets shrank, parents yanked their kids out of the public school system in growing numbers, but the underlying issue remained: “Too many students don’t want to learn, and too many teachers don’t know how to teach.” Almost four decades later, as we are enmeshed in debates about standardized testing, charter schools and vouchers, we are still struggling to find a solution.
STEVE PHILLIPS