by K. Russell

Created on: December 19, 2010

It wasn’t long ago when a high school diploma meant something. Today’s high school graduates, however, are no better prepared for productive adulthood than the children who “graduate” from elementary or middle school. Public schools in the United States have deteriorate to the point of being less than baby-sitters. Students threaten and attack teachers and get away with it, sharing their outrageous actions with the world by way of cell phones and social networks and the teachers are criticized by administrators.

To be successful and worth the expense, public high schools need to return to the days of firm discipline, grades that mean something, and classes that teach skills needed by all American citizens. With the advent of the Internet, nearly all useful information is only as far away as the touch of a button. Far more important than the rote memorization of trivial facts, learning how to judge information as being both accurate and useful is a far more important skill. To create a useful and effective high school curriculum, the following classes should be mandatory:

The Written Word - Writing skills apply to every aspect of life and should be granted their proper place in education. High school students should be required to demonstrate writing abilities in personal, professional, and creative writing. No Ebonics, slang, or excuses should be accepted.

The Spoken Word - Public speaking is the basis used to determine intellect, trustworthiness, and desirability in nearly all social and professional interactions. High school students need to develop public speaking skills and see themselves in action to better understand how they are perceived by others and to know where they need to improve themselves. 

Reading Comprehension - It does no good to learn how to read if students do not know how to comprehend, retain, judge, or use what is being read. Reading comprehension is crucial when learning new skills, obeying the law, or sharing information with family and friends.

Consumer Math - Remove the calculator for fundamental calculations and ensure that all high school graduates are able to balance a checkbook, calculate compound interest, develop, maintain, and edit a personal budget, and understand their earnings and basic taxes. Graduates must also have a working knowledge of the terms and conditions involved with borrowing and investing money

The Cycle of Social Evolution - Graduates must be able to demonstrate a working knowledge

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