What are We Doing to Our Kids?

I'm not one of those people who laments what the younger generation is coming to. 
I always thought that was pretty silly because every generation has trouble with the next one. 
But whenever I hear from people who still have kids in school I do worry about the generation that is running the public education system in this country. 
For one thing, the country on this subject, as on so many, the country is upside down. 
For every $1 spend on early childhood education, $7 is saved later. But, since the Reagan administration, preschool programs have been underfunded. 
It's not rocket science. If you send kids to preschool, they get a head start on education -- hence the name of the program: Head Start. 
In Italy, where pretty much all children go to preschool, there is virtually no spending on special education later because kids with problems are diagnosed early and dealt with. And considering the obscene amount of money we spend in America on special ed (which is fodder for about 10 more columns) we should really look at that. 
Then when kids get into public school, the same government that doesn't want to spend any money on preschool doesn't want to spend money there either. Unless that money goes to more testing. Teachers are inundated with paperwork for evaluation after evaluation. Kids are taught to do well on tests that may or may not have anything to do with anything else. What's wrong with that picture? Maybe everything?
When my kids were in elementary school, even in a tiny town, they had a certain number of opportunities to do projects. Egg drops, roller coasters, science fairs, talent shows. From what moms tell me, the kids in grammar school today don't get a chance to do even basic reports. Even if they had those opportunities, when would the teachers get a chance to grade their papers? 
So many experienced teachers are retiring as soon as they are eligible because teaching isn't what they went into. They are getting evaluated many times a year, even after they have proved their worth. They are bogged down in inane paperwork that has nothing to do with education. They are administering tests that are meaningless. 
They are unhappy. 
And how can the best people possibly go into teaching? Why would they be interested? People go into teaching because they like children, they like teaching, they want to make a difference. If they don't have that opportunity, they might as well find another profession.