George Stanley:

You may have seen, in Alan Borsuk’s column Sunday, the latest testing results for eighth graders’ knowledge of American history and civics. Just 15% of students, about one in seven, are rated proficient in U.S. history and 24% in civics.

These numbers come in a year when we’ve seen the president impeached by the House and acquitted by the Senate; a court-ordered presidential primary where people waited up to three hours to vote in Green Bay and Milwaukee; huge problems getting absentee ballots out to voters and back; the government closure of schools and most businesses around the world; shortages of masks, shields, ventilators and other key equipment to manage the coronavirus pandemic; record government aid packages due to historic job losses and health care needs.

>tolerated disastrous reading results.

In addition, Madison recently expanded its least diverse schools.