Using the schools to achieve racial balance, eliminate poverty, fight drug abuse, prevent pregnancy, and reduce youth suicide is simply too much to ask. Teachers and principals should be required to address educational issues, not unmet social needs. Moreover, those who demand the schools' improvement would be well-advised to pay significant attention to the social issues that have played such a critical role in the decline of the public school systems. If there is a wish to improve the educational performance of U.S. schools, first there must be improvement in the quality of life for U.S. youth. Only when this improvement occurs can an evaluation be made as to the degree to which schools are fulfilling their educational objectives. (JD)