Concord's Bill Koenigsberg and Elliot Ring will conduct an 8-week discussion group at the Council on Aging and the Harvey Wheeler Community Center starting on Thursday, March 31. Part of the Village University series, the class will examine the reality behind the oft-heard claims about America’s poor showing in the worldwide rankings of educational achievement. President Obama recently said the U.S. ranks 21st in science and 25th in math, and it’s accepted that science and math proficiency and the national economy are intertwined. What’s going on? Standardized testing, charter schools, Supreme Court decisions, merit pay for teachers, the role of computers, racial and ethnic achievement gaps, immigration, No Child Left Behind – discuss these and more. Text available with your contribution of $60. The course meets on Thursdays from 9:30 to 11 AM. To enroll call Community Education at 318-1432 or visit www.ace.colonial.net. Community Education courses are a student-funded service of the Concord-Carlisle Schools.