Sense of crisis may lead to faster progress

Many Americans fear that the United States is losing its competitive edge in the world. The deterioration of education in the US only adds to this sense of crisis.

About a million US teenagers drop out of high school every year. According to the American Council on Education, some 40 million Americans have never finished high school.

During the recent national conference of governors here, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire mentioned these figures and also cited the results of an international student assessment program that placed American students 25th in math, 17th in science, and 14th in reading.