It always makes me mad to see how poorly our nation’s public education system is doing.  Not too long ago, the Washington Post ran a series of articles about the state of the District’s public schools.  It seems to me that a lot of families are going to have to hire Washington DC private tutors in order to help their kids keep up.  So much for the right to a free education!

Studies have consistently shown that United States students are far behind their peers in other countries.  Math and science scores are particularly appalling, but reading scores are down too.  Washington DC reading tutors must be getting a lot of business these days — from the parents that actually notice, that is!

The failures of the American public school system coincide with the increasing unaffordability of college.  Even as having a college degree becomes more necessary in order to earn a living wage in our world, it becomes ever more unattainable for the people who need most to get ahead.

When our Founding Fathers said that everyone has a right to a free education, do you think they specified "K through 12"?  Of course not!  They were referring to the type of education that is necessary to get anywhere.  Since "getting anywhere" now requires college, too, I would think they’d want that to be free as well!

Of course, with our public school system failing, and more and more people having to rely on Washington DC tutoring, do we really think free college would be any more successful?

Technorati Tags: public schools, Washington DC, private tutors, college, right to a free education