I can say with absolute certainty that my command of the English language, 8th grade level, was beyond what a college graduate has today. If you didn't go to Catholic school in the 50's you don't know what I'm talking about. My teenage boys would yell at me and say "Will you stop talking like that and talk normal". I laughed but it wasn't funny. I realized, in the 80's, 90's something was horribly wrong with public school. To be sure, I was outraged.

"jeopardize, assassin, cognitive, apparently, obliterate" they had no clue. Like hell, was I gonna change my speech. "See that book on the table, it's called a dictionary, what word did you not understand?" Look it up, NOW!! I ripped their teachers apart for not including definitions with spelling words, to no avail. They are near 40 now and still call me and say, "Hey Mom, I'll bet you don't know the meaning of this word". To wit I say, "OK hit me"