The Education Irony in Wisconsin

The latest study dealing with graduation rates in this country indicates that the national graduation rate has improved by 3.5% since 2001. Like every bit of silver lining, there is a background of ominous cloud. The increased graduation rate is a good thing, but the numbers show that nearly one in four high school students in this country still fail to make it to graduation: twenty-five percent seems awfully high to me.
The numbers were presented Monday at the Grad Nation educational summit in Washington, D.C. and show that there is definitely room for improvement. While 24 states showed an increase in graduation rates, 10 saw their numbers fall. While the report didn't mention WHY numbers rose or fell, the fact that some states still cannot graduate students shows a dire need for a national policy that is NOT connected to the misguided "No Child Left Behind." It is also not (in my opinion) a clear mandate for charter schools that have no restrictions or standard educational guidelines. But...that's for someone else to decipher.
Twelve states saw dramatic increases in graduation rates, headed by Tennessee with an increase of 17.3% and New York which elevated its graduation rate by 13%. The remainder of the top twelve includes the following, in no particular order: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, South Carolina, Missouri, alabama, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. The ten states whose rates dropped will be embarrassed enough without my calling them out here.
Only one state in this country achieved a graduation rate of 90% or better.
Wisconsin.
Given the vitriolic attack on the teaching profession lately, I wonder how much longer educators in the Badger state can maintain the energy and resolve to maintain that lofty standard.