Background on the Crisis

We are losing a generation of American minds. American students are not learning the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in today’s world. Today,

70 percent
of our eighth
graders are not proficient in reading and most of them will never catch up. Some
1.1 million
American high school students drop out every year.

Children need knowledge and life-skills to be prepared for life. Adults have an obligation to help children—all children—learn and be prepared for life. Educated people make better neighbors, colleagues, parents and responsible citizens. Quality education is an American “right,” and our children deserve nothing less.

Compared to the rest of the world, the state of education in America is disappointing and embarrassing. After World War II, the United States’ had the number 1 high school graduation rate. Today, we have dropped to

number 21
among industrialized nations. American students rank
25th in math
and
21st in science
compared to students in 30 industrialized countries. Even America’s top math students rank
25th out of 30
when compared with the best students across the globe. While America spends more money each year on education, we are losing more and more American students. While we agree that no American student should be left out, written off or ignored, far too many of our poorest and minority students today still lack adequate resources to learn.

Education is an American issue that affects us all. Jobs are leaving this country and American employers say that students today lack the basic skills to do even the simplest jobs. Without dramatic changes, the U.S. economy will continue to suffer, crime will go up and our children won’t be able to find a job or afford a house. Education is an issue that affects our national strength and security. If we do not create dramatically new opportunities to educate our youth, our standard of living will decline, our democracy will be at risk and we will continue to fall behind as other countries far surpass us.