"Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?" —G.W. Bush, Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000

Image via WikipediaGood thing too, because, alas, the answer is "No, not much." The single most-serious sign pointing to a massive failure in public education is the dismal state of public understanding concerning climate destabilization:

A nationwide global warming quiz last fall from Yale University concluded that many Americans are failures when it comes to climate science. More than half of those who took the quiz got an F. Little wonder there's confusion: uncertainties remain about climate change even among scientists; there have been misleading arguments; and global warming has become hotly debated and politicized. . . .