K-12 educators must focus more time and effort on how to turn higher education dreams into a reality. Such was one of the conclusions drawn during a panel discussion Wednesday on the heels of a new Gallup Poll that shows growing disenchantment with public schools, the belief that teacher quality matters, and parental expectations of college. "Who doesn’t want access to a middle-class way of life in this country?" asked Temple's College of Education Dean C. Kent McGuire. However, McGuire said there is a "huge gap" between the number of youths who aspire to go to college versus those who will go, much less persist in college and graduate on time, as well as serious issues about how to improve teacher quality and effectiveness in a way that prepares students for the demands of college.