More than 20 years ago I was able to quickly locate a whole shelf full of books in any local public library describing the miserable failure of PUBLIC EDUCATION in the United States. And many books written by idealistic but completely burnt out teachers who left the profession ( especially in New York City schools , in Chicago schools , in Detroit schools ) . To be sure , the Providence public school system should make the TOP TEN in " ABJECT ". What really does surprise me is that modern computer technology - once the dream of popular science writer Isaac Asimov for SELF-EDUCATION- is not competently and creatively used to get kids actually EXCITED about learning . Famous Astronomer Carl Sagan observed that kids are naturally curious , almost natural born scientists , until the age of 10 or 11. When I was that age WE were stimulated by the buzz and national anxiety of the 1957 Russian Sputnik. The message : " WE NEED MORE SCIENTISTS ! " . Computers now make PERSONAL educational goals as reasonable as old national goals. There is just no need for public education to be a boring torture for millions of working class kids . They can learn quickly that KNOWLEDGE IS POWER immediately ! That is what MOTIVATES !