No, Ken, I wasn't offended, just curious. My experience has been different. The school I went to was highly accredited, and the students learned. I don't think I ever knew a drop out. It was a different time, I suppose. I started school in 1944, when most of the men were away at war. We would not have dared act up, for fear they would be disappointed in us. Later, if we got in trouble at school, we were in worse trouble at home. Unfortunately, that isn't true now.

When I joined the Navy those I was exposed to were the cream of the crop. Even the black kids in our company had graduated from high school,and were raised by their parents to be gentlemen. Our entire company went to various Navy schools. When my daughter went to school it was still of high quality. She was in AP classes, and went to Belmont University for her degree.

All that has changed. Parents don't know and don't care what is happening with their children. After I started work with the Labor Department, I met people with degrees who could not write a simple declarative sentence.

Most of the teachers I had were in it for the calling of public service. I learned about the WTBS from a history teacher who could make the past alive, warts and all. He taught us things not in the text books. My sixth grade teacher was from Kentucky. When she started teachng she had students as old as she, who brought their rifles to school during hunting season. But they respected her because she was the teacher.

We have gone astray since those days. Sorry, Jim. Stan