[Mind's Eye] Re: are we as a global society moving forward or backward?

Not at all pessimistic Malcolm, I keep hearing depressing news about my old highschool. Teachers overworked, theyve changed it from an alternative to an urban school with higher student ratios. They teach using computers a lot and the kids mostly slack off visiting facebook and youtube, there is a lot less one-on-one contact and interaction based learning. To top it off all this is because of no child left behind crap and teachers are so overworked they are doing their best just to teach to the test and pass them along. Someone will have to deal with it eventually while kids keep getting by on as little as possible fundamental skills and perpetual remedial panaceas. Not pessimist at all! They are destroying public education, and all the teachers know it. :(