Education: Teaching for America

... the secretary of education, Arne Duncan, offered in a Nov. 4 speech: One-quarter of U.S. high school students drop out or fail to graduate on time. Almost one million students leave our schools for the streets each year. ... One of the more unusual and sobering press conferences I participated in last year was the release of a report by a group of top retired generals and admirals. Here was the stunning conclusion of their report: 75 percent of young Americans, between the ages of 17 to 24, are unable to enlist in the military today because they have failed to graduate from high school, have a criminal record, or are physically unfit. America's youth are now tied for ninth in the world in college attainment.

Three countries that outperform us — Singapore, South Korea, Finland — don't let anyone teach who doesn't come from the top third of their graduating class. And in South Korea, they refer to their teachers as nation builders. [Emphasis added].

For more, see Teaching for America by Thomas L. Friedman, November 20, 2010 at The New York Times.