I am not the one who asked for the explanation, but thank you all for the enlightenment. There is so much going on under the radar, that it is frightening. I wonder how many parents, if they honestly knew what was going on in education today, would choose more critically where they send their children. I am so happy that I switched my son after the 5th grade to a private school that honored the same values that we did as a family. I could see the huge conflict developing in our family when he was attending public school. After the switch, it took time, but I am grateful to say that my son has turned out very well - a critical thinker who is not afraid to stand for what he values. We may not always agree about things, but it's okay because I know that his decisions are made thoughtfully and not because he is following the crowd or ideology or whatever. Ironically, he still remains popular and likable, despite the fact that he probably sticks out in his crowd of peers. Parents need to quit kowtowing to their children's whims and do the right thing!! Every parent I know that wasn't afraid to take that stand and became engaged in their children's education produced as a result upstanding, responsible, independent thinking children. We need more of that if we want to set things right in this country. It starts with the family unit.