I have 2 children who have taught for 20 years and they are adament in that the biggest impediment to a child's learning is the home environment. Parents who send children to school hungry, without 8 hours sleep, who do not know if their child can read much less understand the lessons, who do not keep a drug and alcohol free home, who do not keep a safe home; the list is endless. Parents who do expect the child to stay in school during the day or even to go to school. Parents who do not want their children to have a better life than they have. And unfortunately these problems are not limited to any one economic status. Schools now need to teach all the subject matter they always taught plus what used to be taught in the home and church. How much history can you teach in one session if that day you need to address bullying or an issue brought up by the assault of a student? In the schools where there is a large number of illegal aliens there are cultural issues that frequently interfer with a child's learning. Unfortunately, the illegals are not the educated citizens of another country and frequently do not have an understanding of how to help their children learn and being illegal they keep a low profile, which means they do not go to school to meet with teachers, etc. The problems facing many teachers are overwhelming.