Problem
I. After reading Diane Ravitch's article "The Essentials of a Good Education" and exploring the effects of past and present policies, consider what the purpose of education should be - are we providing opportunities for all students to live up to their potential as individuals and as productive citizens or does the "two-track educational system, with different tracks in [Thomas Jefferson's] words for 'the laboring and the learned'" still exist? How well does our public school system prepare students for the real world . . . whether one goes to college or not?
II. In the article: Public education is facing a crisis of epic proportions. How politics and the pandemic put schools in the line of fire By Laura Meckler. How does it relate to how well our general public school system do in preparing young adults for the responsibilities of life outside of school?