Re 'Still very much at risk,' George Will column, April 25:

Will's point is clear, and he sums it up succinctly 'A nation at risk? Now more than ever.'

According the Alliance for Excellent Education, nationally almost a thousand teachers leave their profession each day due to job dissatisfaction or the pursuit of another job. Far fewer are entering the profession. Between 2010 and 2050, more than 1.1 million additional teachers will be needed simply to maintain the current student-teacher ratio.

The U.S. needs a good educational system if it is to remain competitive.

I see little hope for the future of K-12 education.

Why would a young person choose a profession that does not pay particularly well, is not given the respect it deserves, demands very long hours not only in the classroom but in preparing lesson plans and grading papers, and tries to compensate for the failures of some parents to properly prepare their children for school?

All in all, it is a truly unrewarding profession as it now stands. The time is now for a complete re-evaluation of our educational system before it is too late.

To repeat Will's warning: 'A nation at risk? Now more than ever.'