Since the early 1980's, the issue of America's flattering public school system has become a serious concern. The crisis in K-12 education is one of the biggest challenges facing the nation. If America's Public Schools are to meet the needs of the twenty first century, they must be reinvented. It is not enough to try to fix the schools; they must be reconstructed in both fundamental and radical ways. The school system must be reconstructed. The future of the American public school system is significant because the maintenance of an informed and productive community is vital to the future of this country. The pitifully low results of American students through international test scores are one obvious fault. Another is the failure of many students to demonstrate their knowledge of basic skills and literacy. It is surprising that such a long time has passed without any sufficient effort put forth to correct the problem. Even more surprising, is the fact that some deny that such a problem exists. There is a great deal of evidence to show this problem.
For more than a century, America's public schools have been an essential source of the country's strength. Public education has allowed citizens to become productive members of society by providing them with skills and knowledge necessary for the labor force. Schools prepare students to be literate, informed and reasoning citizens. According to Philip Schlechty, author of Schools for the twenty-first century, "Public schools are the ties that bind this pluralistic society into a nation. Our Nation's thirty-sixth president, Lyndon B. Johnson, also believed that there is no institution more fundamental to American society and democracy than its public schools (Schlechty)." .
In the competitive knowledge based world of the twenty-first century, the education of America's youth will be more important than ever. More responsibility will be placed on schools because of greater diversity in classrooms, languages, preparedness, motivation, and the dynamics of the future workplace.