Now we must acknowledge that our state no longer has that big hairy dream for being a state of excellent public education. There are some who still do, but they are no longer the majority, nor are they the people making critical decisions about public education. Our legislature, the leaders who make policy, laws and appropriate funding, appears to have given up on public education. Last year they passed a law reducing the number of credits high school students needed to graduate to 22. Tom Campbell is a Hall of Fame North Carolina broadcaster and columnist who has covered North Carolina public policy issues since 1965.