"Free universal public education is a pillar of democracy that made America great." So wrote my friend Jim Salmon last week, in a letter to this newspaper lambasting the school choice that's now law in New Hampshire.
Jim's remark was once correct. Today, however, public education may be our greatest national weakness, posing a serious threat not only to our economic future but to our national security. The National Educational Assessment of Progress results from 2024 showed such declining proficiency in math and reading, nationwide, that the opening of school coincided with widespread media angst. More recently, the University of California at San Diego, the sixth-highest-rated public university in the country, revealed that many of its freshmen can't perform elementary-level math functions. Many were also noticeably deficient in reading skills.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.