good post. I think most would agree with the part of your quote I put in bold. I just wonder who has the plan and actual steps to get that in place. It seems to me that hopelessness gets passed from one generation to the next these days. I see kids that don't see that there is a better way and if I get to see there parents most of the time I don't see a person who believed they had a shot in life. There just does not seem to be the same attitude of "I want my kids to have better than me", that this country was built on.
Who has the actual road map? I know one part is we have to have better qualified and better paid teachers. I am sure we can all remember what an impact and inspiration a truly gifted teacher can have on us. But we still have to change the attitude of the parents IMO and that is a tall order.