What the Department of Education’s “82 Percent of Schools Are Failing” Statistic Really Tells Us

Rachel Sheffield / March 21, 2011

According to the Obama Administration, the majority of the nation’s schools could be failing.

In a statement to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce just over a week ago, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that under the current No Child Left Behind law, 82 percent of the nation’s schools may not be sufficiently educating students. But this is debatable.

It is true that far too many schools in the United States are not providing students with a good, or even remedial, education. Children in the U.S. continue to fall behind their peers internationally, and too few students are able to reach proficient levels in crucial areas like reading and math. This spells tragedy for the future of our nation. (more…)