I think its a combination of several things. The students are no longer held responsible for their actions. I visited a school a couple of times and I saw a student cuss a teacher out and grab her by the throat. I was gonna break it up real quick but my wife the cop grabbed me and she jumped the student and handcuffed him. Three day supension. Jerry if that kid was in your class would you want to put up with 2 years of him threatening you or one? Here in NC there are special classes for gifted children but like Jog I believe the general population's education has been dumbed down. A lot of it is a large percentage of the kids are raised by single parents who work all hours and arent around to help with learning or homework. True learning starts at home. Kids are allowed to carry calulators into math class, I would have got suspended for that. Ever seen a young person try to count change? The students threaten the teachers and a lot of them just try to get through the day without getting hurt or shot. I know several teachers who took early retirement or just quit, fearing for their safety. I believe the Principles are more to blame than the teachers. Whenever a crime or even a felony was committed by a student the Principle fought with my wife when she tried to report it. Crime reports went against the principle and future promotions. Every principle in the school system hated my wife because she reported the crimes like her job required. If the teacher reports a kid impossible to deal with to the principle there goes the teachers raise and NC teachers are the lowest paid in the union. If my Mom and Dad couldnt get a decent job whats the point in me going to school? I've heard that excuse a lot. Jerry your kids probably went to Catholic Schools, correct me if I'm wrong. They are known to have the best schools in the US. I was willing to join the Catholic Church so my grandson could go to a decent school but in order to do that my grandson would have had to live with my wife and I five days a week and my daughter wouldnt  go for that, cant blame her. The high school in the county that my daughter lives in was built for 350 students. There's 1600 kids going to that school. Blame that on bad government. Thats why I get mean when I hear about all the money sent overseas building schools. Then there's school bullying. The big dumb kids keep the smart nerdy kids who want to learn scared to death. You cant blame it all on the teachers, I know several and they're good people going up against crooked principles, school violence, very overcrowded classrooms, a goverment that refuses to give them space and materials to do their job, students not held accountable for their actions and I could go on. If I could stay in school and probably not get a job or I can quit school and sell drugs on the corner for $500 a day what am I gonna do? I not the greatest at math (it wasnt my teachers fault) but we've ALWAYS got plenty of money for wars but no money to build and support decent schools. We're just reaping what we've sewn.