49.8 million children in America will spend 7 hours, 180 days a year for 13 years in a public school classroom (Fast Facts). Every parent, every morning is putting faith in the people who run these public schools that their child will receive a proper education that will prepare them for college and eventually their career. School comes at a critical time of a child’s life where their brain development is crucial to their intellectual and emotional capabilities. Without these skills, children are more likely to drop out, work at dead end jobs, be on public assistance or end up in prison. But, if we can help to fix our education system, we can help fix our economy, our neighbor hoods, and our country.

Out of 28 developed countries, the United States ranks 20th. In Alabama, only 18% of eighth graders are proficient in reading, and in states across America only 20 to 35 % of students are reading at grade level according to Waiting for Superman, a documentary directed by David Guggenheim. The problem begins between the 5th and 7th grade. This is where students being to go from B students to C and D students. By the time they have reached the 7th grade, they feel as though they are stupid. But are the students less intelligent? Or is there a bigger problem, asks Geoffrey Canada, a leader of education reform and founder of the Harlem Children’s Zone, a charter school that guarantees its student’s will graduate despite being in the heart of the worst school district in New York.

Dr. Robert Balfanz of Johns Hopkins University studies “dropout factories” or schools where 40% of students don’t graduate. Failing elementary schools feed failing middle schools, which feed into failing high schools. Children are being passed along from grade to grade without ever truly reaching their grade level. He found that there are over 2,000 schools like this in America. This school