President Obama is focusing some of his attention on public schools and the problem of “dropouts” which is termed “epidemic.” Reading a story by By Darlene Superville, Associated Press Writer, I was struck by two or three statements – [President] Obama has been pushing schools — using federal money as his leverage — to raise their standards and prod them to get more children ready for college or work. It is a task that former President George W. Bush and Congress, along with many leaders before them, have long taken on, but the challenge is steep. If that is true, surely there is action that needs to be taken closer to…