You've been very perceptive in recognizing the situation on US educational system, but you overlook the fact that the socio-economic class who's doing poorly is increasingly getting bigger. I think therein lies the problem -- and, the continuing streak of anti-intellectualism has this peculiar feature of worsening everything around it ten-fold, and it's extremely seductive because of the capitalistic factor (dumbed down movie/shows dialogues, dumbed down news, etc.). A vast amount of data at this point portends social unrest in terms of class warfare, politics, etc. What'll happen when unemployment keeps going up, when the clamor of "entitlement programs" gets more agitated, when school systems get even more stressed with funding issues? I really think that's where shit will hit the fan.
> The solution is all the middle class people from the Detroit suburbs moving back into the city, stabilizing the social structure of the city, sending their kids to Detroit public schools so as to dilute the influence of social phenomena like gangs that thrive in low-income ghettos, and to build functioning integrated communities with broad parental involvement. Butt hat will happen when hell freezes over, and until then people will complain ceaselessly about the government's failure with regard to education.
Right, exactly. So, the way I see it, there are a good many reasons for alarm. I spent my teenage years in American inner cities, so yes I know just how bad it is, I saw at least 2 fights per week or so breaking out in high school that would end up in police involvement.
Can you think of a solution? The best solution I can think of: boarding schools, that are run like military schools, that get teens away from the bad neighborhoods for at least 8 months of the year, that give them some tough love treatment to discipline them.