Susan Jacoby's _Age of American Unreason_

My friend Jose and I have been discussing this very topic recently, well, for years actually, and finally here in one place is nice summation:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/15/AR2008021502901_pf.html

The pity is that those who most need to read it, the guilty and those who design standardized tests, will not read it. Sigh.