Professor Ronald Morris's suggestion of converting Ph.D.s to teachers1 is a great idea. But it won't work. As a former public school teacher (four years) who has been a scientist for over 30 years, I can see major obstacles that will be overcome in only a few cases:
* The students (the most important variable in the equation): You cannot lecture to public school students as if they were motivated undergraduates. Most of the Ph.D.s I know would not know how to handle disciplinary problems. And if they could, they would find the classes too large to implement the solutions effectively. Students know if you care about them. They'll expose a fake faster than one can run a PCR.
* The parents: Many do not care enough about their child's education to provide the necessary support (turn off the TV, create a time and atmosphere for study, etc.). Others bully ...
