Forbes – James Marshall Crotty
“…the United States now ranks second to last in the world in the earning levels of its of low-skilled adult workers…a big part of the problem is America’s obsession with getting young people to graduate high school without stringently verifying that they have the basic skills to garner meaningful employment…one can easily graduate high school in this country knowing almost nothing…Moreover, the connection between low skills and high rates of graduation is strongest in America. In other nations, graduating high school actually means something. Schools and governments in those countries go to great lengths to ensure that those graduating high school actually have the skills to perform a wide range of tasks in the world of work…with the OECD confirming high rates of civic apathy and low rates of volunteerism among the growing ranks of low-skill Americans, the twin pillars of our unique democracy are threatened unless we act soon. We should start this turnaround by dramatically raising the standards for U.S. high school graduation. In particular, we must require that all high school students regardless of income, race or geography demonstrate mastery of basic skills on an objective, uniform and global PISA-like test – free of state and local political interference – before receiving their diploma, driver’s license, and government support…”(more)