NO! It is the public school's fault, and it is the PARENTS fault for accepting substandard education for their children. Cut the MOFO TV off and get involved. Refuse to accept whatever. Demand, insist, that your child have a better education than you. If you don't want a better life for your child, you should not be a parent.

You're correct in saying it's the parents' fault, but for the wrong reason. What you've basically said is "it's the parents fault for not blaming other people enough". Parents need to encourage their kids to learn, to put effort in at school, and they need to discipline them appropriately when they don't. The fact that not everybody leaves school incapable of functioning in society proves it is NOT the fault of the schools and/or teachers. It is the fault of lazy, ignorant young people and the parents that can't or won't sort their offspring out.

I agree with you. If you reread my comment... it is the Public School system's fault AND its the parent's fault... that is very clear from my statements. It is the PARENT's responsibility to insure their child is educated. That means holding the SCHOOL system accountable for its responsibilities. There is not a lone contributing factor. There are many contributing factors... Parents, School, Madison Avenue, illegal drugs, caviler sex, and a myriad of competing entertainment venues... Sports, Internet, Hollywood, Television, etc. Too many parents do not know, and/or care, and/or wish to manage/forbid/train their children in prioritizing their time, observing societal manners, obeying rules and laws, and dare I say (yes I will) instructing right and wrong and values and morals. Leave it up to a child (or the school) to address homework, chores, "discover their values" or to have sex/drugs/surf ****/TV et cetera, and in 12 years, IF YOU ARE LUCKY, you may have a child with Hollywood values who can use a calculator to do simply math . In many instances, the kids will drop out of school. Trillions have been thrown at education by legislators... but its not the School System alones fault. The USA outspends, per capita, every other Country in education... but at this point in time, India, China, Japan, S. Korea, et cetera produce more scholars than we do. I am VERY happy for those Countries, but I AM PISSED at the return on investment MY education tax dollars recognize. Hillary and Blue States may teach (as #78 so exquisitely put it: the arrogant upper class... who knows what's best for the underclass) that it take's a Village to raise a child... but US Government and local community efforts have done little to overcome what Mom/Dad have not done. Education, respect, and moral values START in the home. Money alone cannot cure what is wrong in the heart and mind. Do I expect much agreement with these thoughts? No, but 50% might agree. Why 50%? Because only 50% or so PAY taxes for all education, welfare, military agendas, and administrative bureaucracy in the USA. Why? Because these 50% are the only ones making enough to pay taxes. Why? Because they have chosen (or been made) to pursue education and be contributing members to society. We are living up to OUR responsibilities; is it too much to ask for (most) of the remaining 50% to step up and begin to correct this decay in their education, parental responsibility, and eventually contribute taxes for the good of the whole? So all joking aside, I say to the OP: it is not FYL.... it is F Our Lives because WE have to carry the water for an unacceptably high underclass. My apologies for this tirade. I like most come here to laugh, insult some, be entertained.... but occasionally an FML touches a nerve. And now, I feel better.

@94: I would be remiss if I did not comment directly on your post. In far fewer words than I, you stated it elegantly in your simplicity. I agree with you. But I do not want to leave an impression that I subscribe or promote the notion that "it's the parents fault for not blaming other people enough". It's first and foremost a parental responsibility for raising their children. That parental responsibility however, demands that others (including the children) successfully fulfill their responsibilities. Many forces touch and influence children, but in the USA, ultimately the legal guardians are charged with insuring that the health, welfare, and education of their children is satisfactorily fulfilled until the age of 18.

Who cares if there are 1, 5, 10, or 20 in line? You still going to make minimum wage regardless of how long it takes. If number 20 shows up late and misses the movie intro's, that's their tuff luck, not yours. But, I know you might not grasp the math in this statement. So grab a calculator to try and figure it out.

There's no sales tax on the movie tickets I buy.-.-

okay, man, 14.71. no calculator, five seconds, hated and bombed math all throughout public school, haven't done a math problem in four years. if you cannot do simple addition and subtraction fast in your head you are not holding yourself to a high enough standard.

Playing devil's advocate in a mostly unanimous decision. Don't get too worked up over it, but yeah, I agree with you.