As a parent who watched the Portland Public Schools fail my two daughters I say that the emphasis on 'creativity', 'sensitivity', 'diversity' and all the other '...ity' ideology is what is dooming our society.

I watched as my daughters didn't have to memorize spelling or even multiplication tables. I watched as homework was handed out sparingly and responsibility for the work was non-existent (in other words, if they did it fine, if they didn't fine - they were passed along, getting good grades regardless). I now watch two women who are struggling in community college to master the subjects and tools that they should have learned in grades K - 12. You might be a great artist, if you can't do math you'll get cheated. Worse, if your career in art fails, then where is the person left.

School should be where basics are taught, they aren't. Creativity (another '...ity') is NOT something that school time should be spent on.