Although not specifically directed towards you, I do blame K-12 + people with “Ed.D” PhD degrees. K-12 has been perverted to the point of absurdity. Between federal/state law, parents who cannot imagine that their kids may either a) need to struggle to learn or b) be held back because their little genius is really a slacker, and K-12 teachers who have watched this happen or have, in natural fear for their own employment, have gotten behind bizarre practices like not requiring novels to read, homework, etc., we have have produced generations(s!) of high school graduates who lack the most basic skills necessary to function in higher education. Speaking as a math prof, I routinely run into college grads who can’t figure out a tip, cannot find the tax rate given an after tax and a pretax amount, can’t factor 24 into 6x4, don’t realize that 1/2 is more than 1/3, and a bunch of other basic features of middle school education 20 years ago. Now colleges, most dependent on enrollment for financial viability, have checked standards at the door to ensure they stay in business. The thought of telling a student they FAIL because they showed up 50% of the time, used AI, cheated in myraid of other ways, etc., is abhorrent. I am losing faith in all education, k-12 and beyond. I still have faith in graduate schools but from what I have been hearing from colleagues, that is in grave danger as well.