I graduated high school in 1979. I watched as my younger brothers received an increasingly inferior education as zero tolerance, no-pass-no-play, "don't reward high achievers and make the others feel bad" and other well-intended meddling tweaks diminished the actual education. Far less was expected of my youngest brother than was of me. I saw it in his homework, his projects, his grades, and his critical & abstract thinking skills. Fortunately college got him back on track.

Now my kids are even worse off. They think I'm crazy for demanding more of them than their test-oriented teachers do.

I was taught to learn. My kids are taught to game tests. I got zeroes for missing work. I now see teacher's strike it off a grade report with no penalty.

Caring parents these days find themselves supplementing school work. It isn't easy... especially when the kids fight back ("no other parents expect this!!!"). Yes, this generation really is being done wrong, and will be at a disadvantage... at least, kids in the US.