Possible? In DC, anything is.

http://media.www.theeagleonline.com/media/storage/paper666/news/2007/03/26/News/D.c-Literacy.Below.National.Average.Study.Says-2790826.shtml

170,000 people in the District live at the lowest literacy rate....about 150% higher than the national average. Even the national average is around 21-23%...how?

Read this about Teach for America in SE DC, Anacostia....excellent writer, by the way.
http://www.city-journal.org/html/13_1_how_i_joined.html

The kids have major behavioral problems, the parents blame the teacher and school system, and the administrators don't give the teachers any headway in discipline and control.

I may look into becoming a teacher....that'd be a good job. Stressful, but rewarding and fulfilling, at least to some degree - if I don't get sued!

Watch the Wire, Season Four. Good representation of teaching to the standardized test....happens everywhere where administrators are concerned about their paychecks rather than the children's education.

On a side note, http://nces.ed.gov/timss/ states Singapore and Korea are the brightest countries in science and math. Singapore has like 100% literacy rate last time I checked (few years ago)...


Best quote from a sophomore (not sure if college or HS, looks like college) for the reasoning behind the lack of education: "There is also a large immigrant population in the city who probably can't speak much English."

From my time teaching immigrants they were well-versed in education. It's possible many don't care, especially teenagers caught in the game of self-identity and fitting in, but I find that quote difficult to believe on a widespread scale.

Cycling for the win. Tyson's in less than a week - bring it Cat 3's...you're gonna hurt. Ephrata with the fam in four weeks....bring it, bring it!

Sean Ross