As long as they phrase their problem that way, they will never figure it out. Do they want to?

Of course an entire generation is failing! Didn't we already know that?? Today's kids are addicted to video games and the internet, their parents give them everything they need except..what they NEED. What did everybody think was gonna happen when the world turned consumer-crazy? Had to have the latest gadget!? Had to keep up with the Joneses? Had to buy every latest thing they saw on Oprah, on The Today Show etc...?? Now kids are tuning away from their elders...and the Gates' are surprised? How could they possibly be surprised? They helped create this monster called the Internet, and now kids are texting and snapping photos in school, instead of concentrating on their work. In short, as they grow their brains are becoming completely wired for the Internet--how can books compete? Math? Spelling? Not interesting enough! Pass the iphone, please, so I can take a picture, even as the fiddles play.

Only two people replied on this subject?

I applaud the vision of Bill and Melinda Gates. Smaller schools, fewer regulations and high expectations can and will make a difference. A greater difference will be made when whole public school districts provided tool to improve their principals, their instructional leaders and their teachers. All teachers need to improve if we are to impact our students lives. Every student needs to have qualified teachers who are able to connect with their students and enable the students to connect with the subject content effectively. These tools are available. Technology makes these tools affordable and easily accessible. The question is whether whole school districts are willing to seek these tools out? Districts are finally seeing the power of mentoring. Now, the question is whether, the districts are willing to engage mentoring and technology so principals, instructional coaches and mentors, and teachers can have resources for growth available 24/7/365.

As a 20 year veteran of the schools in Massachusetts, I have to say this is not new information. The crisis has been here for years, but I am THRILLED that it is finally being talked about by people whose voice wills be heard. There is so much that needs to be addressed - from parental issues to national issues. If you zoom out - 25 years ago moms stayed home and were there when their children came home - there was "snack time" and "homework time", etc. Supervision took place and kids weren't left to their own devices (ie computers, texting, etc.). Not all the blame can be placed there, however. One of the biggest issues we have as the people who spend seven hours a day with students is the "teaching to the test" problem. Not every student will be a doctor, not every student will drop out. There needs to be options for ALL children. Again, 25 years ago we had woodshop/cooking/sewing/etc. Now there is either no money or time for these options. ALL students are expected to pass a test that is geared toward ALL students headed to college. Well, surprise, ALL children do not plan to go to college. It would be great if that would happen, but realistically - it will never be that way. Children are expected to fit into a mold, parents are too "busy" to put time into memorizing times tables(for example), social pressure puts kids in a place where no child should have to be, kids don't have time to be kids anymore. Where did the play time go? Kids are obese now because parents work to make the money they need to keep up with the newest gadget - bigger house/SUV etc, so they don't have time to prepare meals/supervise what goes on with their kids - there are so many issues that its disheartening.

I have worked with inner city children for 15 years - poor/homeless/sexually abused/adjudicated youth...and I now work in a suburban town. I see the same issues - quite frankly - children are expected to grow up WAY before their time. They are making babies and dropping out to take care of them, they are home alone more than ever at too early ages....that's a whole different OPRAH show.

I feel it all goes back to two family incomes. That lead to latch key kids. That lead to TV/overeating/not doing homework...all to keep up with the Joneses. It became and continues to be a vicious circle - the outcome - unsuccessful/overweight - you name it - kids. And who is at fault??? Instead of trying to place blame, its time to figure out what to do to fix it!!!

So much change needs to occur - now teachers have to focus their academics on passing a test - 25 years ago teachers just taught the curriculum - children learned and succeeded - expectations were met. PERIOD - what happened was the emphasis went from going to school, working hard, meeting expectations and passing to going to school to pass a test - no expectations except to pass a test. Kids aren't held back anymore - God forbid we hurt their feelings. I have had parents blame me for not doing enough - giving them a copy of the test, reviewing the material for a week, staying after school for extra help, and when their child fails - its MY fault. THIS HAPPENS DAILY IN OUR SCHOOL. Years ago, we went to school to learn - not play games to make learning more fun - and my generation, for the most part, is successful. Ask an average sixth grader what the capital of their state is - many think its Washington D.C. - many kids by sixth grade still don't know their times tables! Its crazy!!!!

Ask the teachers who are in the trenches day in and day out. You'll not see a huge difference in opinion. We are expected to raise the children and teach the children everything they need to be a successful adult - we aren't the parents and cannot go home with every child at night.

Money for education is another sad state of affairs. In this world of internet and all of the gadgets we have, every student should have a computer and internet access. It isn't the case. Children aren't treated equally in individual school systems, so how can the expectations be the same? Its so sad that we have no problem spending a billion dollars a day on a war to save another country, but we don't have funding for children to get what they need.

I have gone on and on and I apologize for that, thank you for hearing me out and taking some time to listen to the issues that are only the tip of the iceberg. I could go on and on about allof this and more. So many teachers could!!!

First, I would strongly agree that there are major discrepancies in funding throughout our state and country. I have to say funding is not the only issue affecting outcomes. If a child comes to school not ready to learn, without the proper language and life experience, he will not learn to his potential. You can throw money at a problem, and it will help short term, but the fact is, if parents do not become responsible for a child's early learning, the problem will not improve.

I too am a teacher and agree wholeheartedly with your comment regarding being like a parent to our students. Parents are not doing their job, especially in those vital years before a child enters school. When a child comes to school without a strong language and life experience, he will always be at a disadvantage, whether the school district is spending more money or not.

The problem is that there are no valid systems for evaluating teachers . There are procedures for evaluating teachers in place in most areas and most of these look good on paper. They are not effective or appropriate. Teachers are often only evaluated formally once or twice a year by a principal or other individual who doesn't have the experience or expertise to know if the teacher is doing a good job or not. It is a joke.

It is comforting and disturbing to see that other people share my frustration and concern for our school system. I am considered a baby in the field, with only 3 1/2 years of teaching experience, but I already share a lot of the same concerns as veteran teachers.

The segment in this show that hit home the most for me was the school swap. I teach in a Chicago Public School just down the street from Harper High School and we are experiencing the same problems. We can argue all day that something needs to be done, but the truth is that actions speak louder than words. As teachers all we can do is motivate our kids and push them to be the best.

I agree with a previous post that we need to take ALL students into consideration and stop pushing everyone into college. The city students do not receive any training other than college track courses, and they are suffering. Hopefully this piece will be a wake up call to those who think school problems do not exist. More than anything I hope this strikes a nerve with parents. As teachers we can only fight so hard for people to pay attention to these issues, but it takes an angry mob of parents, demanding change for their children, to truly start the ball rolling for change.

I believe that this show is a tribute to what happens in communities where the parents are mostly unemployed living on welfare, and actually living off tax payers. If the people in the community would work, pay taxes, vote, do thing sin the community to help themselves the children would learn that it matters. What you put in, can mean the difference between good and bad lifestyles. Schools in the inner city are the way they are for a reason. ANd I am not saying that it is anyones fault, but for instance the metal detectors, there is a reason for those. Trying to make all americans feel guilty because of the different privledges they have, is not fair. We all can make a difference, we all can make things better. I work, I pay taxes, I choose to vote for things to improve my community and my schools, I am aware of my childrens whereabouts and who they hamg around with. I am against the criticism americans are getting for not making it possibel for everyone to live the same, we dont. You must work, parents must work, grandparents must work. Crying the blues about the past and who put you down is not working anymore, we can see the proof. I am a working white single woman, who has to pay for everything in college that I get. I cannot afford it I go without. But I am going to school with alot of different classes and races who get education paid for, because they have many children, live on welfare, came from another country, or whatever else they can think of to get a free ride through life. That is not fair. And all this attention towards the poor, inner city, or whoever else fits the category is good as far as showing people there are alternative lifestyles, which you can have options. But persecuting the people who make most of the things possible for the free loaders, is not. I resent the fact that just because someone has it better, means that we are oding something wrong for not giving all we have to those who do not help themselves. Really, people die to this day to protect thsi country and what it stands for, what happened to remembering who gave anyone the life here. Americans did!!! We are all in this together. Do your part, or don ot whine about your situation. People need to step up and take care of their families, and make different decisions. It is not up to the government or anyone to pay for someone to get a free ride through life in this country. If you dont like it, change it!!!

I am so upset not is it the low income or inner city, the children who need learning support are being treated like second class citizens. They are just as worthy of an education. My son was told that he should know the information from the learning support class he was in and the teacher was not there to babysit him. I really feel for my son a child who has been turned off of learning and counting the days until he can drop out. He is a smart kid just learns in a different way but the school insists he learn there way and it does not work. Something needs to be done. Tina M.

I am a 39 yr old female, returning to college to change careers. I am pursuing my undergrad then graduate degree to teach college & high school math. For the past 11 years, I have been a welfare caseworker. I decided to change jobs because I want to teach; to help people who are trying to help themselves through higher education. I am watching the show today with Bill Gates and am so intrigued by what I am hearing. I want the producers of this show to know how incredibly hard it is for an adult, who has decided to become a teacher, to return to college. All scholarships and financial aid programs cater to younger people. I do not have a bachelors degree, this will be my first. And yet I have hit every obstacle you can imagine while trying to find ways to pay for my education. While most sources are very careful to not be guilty of age discrimination, they find ways around it. Private sources who offer scholarships will usually not consider giving money to an adult pursuing a degree. I have paid for my associates degree myself, and it was not easy. I could go on and on about how broken our educational aid system is in this country - but that would be a completely different subject - worthy of its own show.

As for the problems with our high schools; Oprah PLEASE do not make this about race. This is NOT a race issue. You tend to make everything about how people of color are disadvantaged. I live in an area of NC that has lost most of its industrial jobs. People are struggling here. Students are graduating from high school without the math skills needed to succeed at a community college. These are not blacks; they are young white students. DO NOT MAKE THIS ABOUT RACE. Our high schools are in good shape. This problem is not exclusive to areas that cannot make structural improvements in their schools. The quality of EDUCATION is the problem. Not gymnasiums that are falling apart (although i realize that good facilities are needed). Thanks for the show. It is highlighting an incredible problem that we are only beginning to see the consequences of.

JF

I will agree that the inequalities in America's schools is atrocious and something needs to be done. Being a teacher in a city school where 80% of my students are at or below the pverty level, of my students last year I had 2 who at some point in time where homeless, and a variety of other issues, I know what it is like to have a school that is falling apart and students not passing state tests. But what gets me is the idea that it is the teachers fault! I agree, there are some "dumb" teachers out there who don't set high expectations, but they aren't as abundent as it may seem. What I see is a low priority overall of education and the need for it. The countries that have high numbers of students at grade level may not have much, but they have a community that believes that education is worth something, so even though they may not have the best, they WILL work hard, go to school, and learn!! When did it become a schools fault alone when a child does not succeed? What about the parents and the community? This is a social problem, something that will only be changed when we as a community and country make education our FIRST priority!

I think it is great the Oprah and the Gates are showing the world these problems, but they sure aren't new.

I'm in my forties, and when I was a kid, there were kids that we weren't allowed to play/hang with because their parents weren't involved and they were considered a "bad influence". The kids weren't necessarily "bad", but our parents were smart enough to know that if parents weren't involved, kids weren't going to care and their behavior/school performance may be less than desirable. Let's face it - much of my acceptable behavior as a child was because I knew my parents would kill me if I screwed around at school.

Today, as a parent and teacher, I can tell you that there is just a bigger increase in the parents that aren't involved. For some, its because of circumstance beyond their control (mother passed away and Dad is just trying to keep the household going while working full time) but for many, it is a choice. IBoth parents work full-time so they can have the nice cars, cottage, boat etc. ts easier to give the kids everything they want, and then let them go - without holding them accountable etc.

While teachers try to do as much as possible - we can't be parents. Parents need to provide guidance, limits, expectations and examples for their kids.

I remembered when this show first aired in 2006 and I remember how furious I was then. Seeing it again today has changed nothing...I am still furious at how badly the system is failing our children and families, and ultimately the Nation.

Has Oprah done any follow up on these issues? Does she plan on doing an "update show" to reinforce the work that needs to be done with our schools?

I wish there was something...anything, I could do to help. What can a one, individual parent do to help?

Kathleen Gregovich
Roseville, MI