Are the Great American Schools dead?

In her new book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, Diane Ravitch blasts No Child Left Behind, which she says promotes "a cramped, mechanistic, profoundly anti-intellectual definition of education" —The education historian states that virtually every other recent reform effort that has sought to inject more free-market competition and accountability into education has failed. She finds much to dislike: charter schools, high-stakes tests, corporate-style school management teams and the rising influence of foundation-funded reforms.
Ravitch says charter schools, privately run but publicly funded, cherry-pick a neighborhood's best students and kick out under-performers, forcing surrounding public schools to teach a depleted talent pool.
Clearly I am not an education historian, yet I do have couple questions regarding Dr. Ravitch conclusions: First, every President since John Kennedy has challenged our schools to do a better job in Math and Science. During those 40 plus years our Math and Science scores have fallen woefully short when compared to other industrialized nations on the NAPE test. Second, according to a recent statement by the President, 1 million students drop out of our school yearly. More than 50% of these students are African American or Hispanic. Finally, Dr. Ravitch does not address the success of Englewood Urban Prep Academy for Young Men located in Chicago. Every graduating senior were accepted into a 4 year college. I could say more……..
What is your take?