We can't say we weren't warned.

In the spring of 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education issued A Nation at Risk—its eye-opening report that indicted education officials, school leaders, and the American public for complacency. The university presidents, eminent scientists, policymakers, and educators who made up the Commission refused to paint a happy face on the eroding quality of American education. They said that we had become self-satisfied about our leading position in the world and “lost sight of the basic purposes of schooling, and of the high expectations and disciplined effort needed to attain them.” [Emphasis mine.]

The above is the opening paragraph from the 2008 "look back" by the U.S. Dept. of Education 25 years after A Nation at Risk was published. You can click on the link and read the summary, but I'll save you the trouble: Aside from some minor changes, not much has changed. We can't say we weren't warned. Then, as a nation, we yawned and went on to more interesting things.

In 1990, the National Center on Education and the Economy published the report of the Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce. We were told that the era of high wages for low-skilled workers had come to an end. America would no longer be the world's manufacturer. Our skills were no longer "world class." We can't say we weren't warned. Then, as a nation, we yawned and went on to more interesting things.

In 2008, NCEE issued the report on the NEW Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce. It reported that not only were low skill workers in danger, but high-skill jobs were increasingly being lost to other nations. Simply going to college was no longer a cure-all.

One would expect that news such as this would cause a furor and finally get America off its collective butt. According to ABC news, these are the top news stories of 2008:

• John Edwards admits he had an affair.
• Sarah Palin says she's ready to be VP.
• "Last Lecture" prof. dies.
• The Rev. Wright dust-up.
• The economic crisis. (OK, this was really sorta big.)
• Natalee Holloway
• Election politics-as-sports 24/7.

Nothing about this new report. We can't say we weren't warned. Then, as a nation, we yawned and went on to more interesting things.

If only the skills of the American workforce were young, blonde and missing in Aruba. Then, maybe, someone would have paid attention to the story.