The Golden Age

Is it possible that we are in a Golden Age of Education? This doesn't mean a Mission Accomplished Age of Education, but a place that outstrips the overall accomplishments of the United States Education System during any time in history. Clearly, it is easy to fall into a trap of nostalgia believing that where and when you went to school was the best of times, but often, the reality is that there is no perspective of the system as we were inside of the system. Schools probably worked for us as current teachers, educators, etc., but there were certainly kids dropping out, disappearing from the system, and draining the social services of our country during your eras also. The data below raises some interesting points about how more students have access to education for a longer period of time now and how education continues to bring greater numbers out of poverty. Are we too negative about the system as a whole and does this negativity inhibit future growth and innovation?


  [Source: U.S. Census Bureau]