Even though our nation’s elementary and secondary schools are in terrible shape on so many levels, one wonders whether the vast majority of school age youth even recognize how blessed they are to have access to basic public education. To be sure, many lesser developed countries can hardly afford to build schools for their children. In parts of the world where access to education is scarce, we know that young people often travel for hours to attend school. Others attend makeshift classrooms in grass huts or rundown shacks. Many families in some of these poorer nations choose which child to send to school because they cannot afford to pay for the education for all of their children. You will often find that many citizens of these nations display a greater appreciation and respect for education and its benefits. In America, where K-12 education is free, the opposite sentiment is too common. Too many parents and students take elementary and secondary education for granted and approach it as if it could never be taken away from them. Some adults are old enough to recall the years when not all citizens could attend schools and the quality of textbooks and curriculums were not nearly comparable for those excluded. As we have witnessed the gradual deterioration of public schools, one would hope that it is not the result of the apathy we see in many schools and communities.

We are correct to demand that the public sector provide equal access to high quality schools for all children. We are equally right to hold young people (and their parents) accountable for their school participation and attendance. With everyone taking responsibility for their respective roles in achieving world class public schools, surely we can show the world that a country as rich as ours can produce a new generation of prepared and highly capable citizens, workers, and leaders. Our nation can do a better job of allocating our precious financial resources across public schools, especially when you consider the level of success achieved by not so wealthy countries that spend far less on education than we do. The answer to the question of how we get back to the place where people respect and appreciate the provision of K-12 education will probably be obvious as we transform schools to a place of prominence and excellence. Maybe the younger generation will show more pride in their educational pursuits when the adults give them something of which they can be proud. Is it possible that America’s youth have understood all along that our negligence and lack of vision and leadership in public schools actually reflect how we really feel about their education?