The chief purpose of this book is to explain how public education in this country became dysfunctional as a result of the education policies and programs funded by the federal government to address low academic achievement. It highlights student effort as a central factor in academic achievement, based on research noting its significance. Teachers and school administrators cannot make children ready for college or career by grade 12 if their parents do not make them ready for school learning by kindergarten or grade 1. Once both the schools and students' parents together made students ready for membership in our civic culture. They learned they were politically equal to each other, with a shared civic identity, regardless of academic achievement. Yet, policy makers at USED and philanthropists in this country with a professed interest in the education of low achievers want low achievers to believe that their academic status is all that matters and that they haven't succeeded academically because of bigoted teachers, administrators, and communities. Parent/school partnerships need to revive their community's agreed-upon mission for public education if we are to alter the roots of low achievement in this country.