Parents...instead of despairing about the system, take some action in your own homes so that your kids aren't the guinea pigs in some illogical social experiment.
The action is this: make sure your children are reading. Not MXA and Dirt Rider, but real books that are well written and entertaining. Go back to the classics. Hardy Boys, Tom Sawyer, Nancy Drew, and Reader's Digest articles are a few examples.
There is a very strong correlation between those who read voraciously and those who write well. There is a high degree of osmosis in richness (and accuracy) of vocabulary, sentence structure, sense of dialogue, and narrative skill that comes only from the process of reading. The rules of language (spelling, for one) are learned in a wholistic way, not by dissecting parts of paragraphs and studying them in isolation. Reading ties all the parts of language and literacy together, and your kids will develop a very accurate sense of "this looks wrong" when it comes to the mechanics of language.
Reward your kids for reading, whether it's cash, privileges, encouragement...whatever works. And guess HOW you're going to get them started? By being a strong example. Go to the library with them, and pick up books that interest you. Set up a couple of hours a week where everyone (yes...even you) picks up a book and reads in the same room. If an 8 p.m. TV show is the reward, read from 6:30 to 8:00, and not even homework assignments are allowed to interfere. Then break out the greasy snack food and enjoy the TV.
Even if this would be a highly unusual move in your family rhythym, do it. Endure the grumbling and resistance...especially your own. Make it a habit. And guess what will happen? You'll learn to enjoy it. Grades will improve in the social sciences, math word problems, second languages, and most noticeably English class.
I challenge you to do it for 6 weeks...grab the calendar tonight, circle 2 nights a week for the next 6 weeks, and those become mandatory reading time. Make night 1 the library visit, or digging through your own books and carefully selecting some reading...everybody gets 5 books. Tape TV shows if necessary, definitely disable the phones, and ignore the front door. If the kids rebel, zip up your pants and lay down the law...make the alternative painful.
I don't know a lot about port timing on a 2 stroke, but I know this stuff well. Oh...and have fun!
Will