Reply #13: You make a great point.

[ParkieDem]

I read somewhere recently about the "9/91" factor: From birth to age 19, children spend 9% of their time in school, and 91% of their time elsewhere. To think that higher standards for teachers, incentive payments for teachers, NCLB, or any major federal program for education is going to improve outcomes is just fantasy.

Our policies don't need to focus on schools, they need to focus on families and making it easier for adults to spend time monitoring and playing with their kids.

This isn't a solution, but I have seen a greater trend (at least in my area) of middle-class, thirtysomething mothers electing to stay at home more and more. Many mothers are finding that, when you factor in the cost of daycare, gas for the commute to work, and other expenses associated with having a job, it really doesn't make much sense to work outside the home unless you're commanding a pretty high salary. I hope this trend (not the high costs, but parents electing to stay home) continues.