No More Mountains To Climb

Are the public schools in American challenging the students to achieve high standards? Is it the policy of the public school system to teach core skills in the fundamental subjects of mathematics, language, grammar, writing, etc.?
I can remember some of my college classes would not allow calculators because some instructors thought it gave an edge to those that used them. I had one instructor in a calculus class that didn't mind at all. His tests were open book, use a calculator, anything you wanted. The only requirement is you had to show your work - the steps you took to arrive at the answer. This was possible because his tests would test the student on the core concepts of the subject and not simply on how well you could memorize the subject. I think this is the best way to test a person's abilities and to push a student toward better achievement.
In America the curriculum of the public school is set by the state. Some states have seen fit to lower the standards of achievement so the playing field can be level. This mentality not only lowers the expectations of the students but lowers the teaching demands of the teachers. Take Missouri as an example (this happens throughout America, no offense to Missouri). In February of 2004 their state Senate gave approval to change how standardized tests are graded - lowering the standards. In their past method they looked bad - about half of their schools were found to be failing. In their wisdom they basically said - Hey, if we lower our standards then we will have fewer failing public schools. Their schools were found to be failing to make "adequate yearly progress" under the federal No Child Left Behind law. Failing to make progress for several years can lead to penalties, including a requirement that children be allowed to transfer to other schools or, ultimately, that school officials be replaced.
Ever hear of a private school having to lower their standards? This is typical socialist mentality - lower standards, pretend that everyone is achieving at the same level - to support the illusion that no one is better than anyone else, that no one need achieve anything more than anyone else. In their ideology you could lower the qualifications of what makes a human and ta-da, we're all just a bunch of protoplasm.