CBS News
January 30, 2010
As part of its "Where America Stands" series, CBS News examines public education and finds it badly needs improvement. Only about one-third of 8th graders are proficient in reading and math, according to the broadcast, and a new CBS poll finds that 70 percent of Americans give the nation’s public school system a grade of “C” or lower. People interviewed for the broadcast say that the problem stems from a number of causes, including low standards for learning in many states and the unwillingness of many principals to challenge the status quo. The broadcast takes a close look at efforts to improve leadership, including reform efforts in Washington, D.C., and one university response to ailing schools: a new Wallace-funded doctoral program at Harvard University intended to provide rigorous training for a new generation of education leaders.
To see a video of the broadcast as well as a written transcript of it, click here: