I can only cite my own experience (36 years of teaching introductory physics courses). But, over that time I observed a steady decline in the level of preparedness of my students for college-level courses. In the early 1970s I could count on most of the students in my introductory, calculus-based physics course being reasonably familiar with the basic concepts of algebra. Generally, more than half the class also would have a reasonable acquaintance with the concepts of trigonometry. Since my course also had a one-semester calculus prerequisite, many of the students also were reasonably comfortable with differential calculus.
As time went on I noticed that the level of preparation declined steadily, particularly in the areas of algebra and trigonometry.
Over the years I also taught a number of introductory labs that required at least a few formal lab reports. While the writing skills of the students never were great, they only got worse with time.
Does this constitute a crisis? Perhaps not. But there has been steady erosion in the quality of K-12 education in the U.S. from what I have seen. There are individual exceptions, of course. But folks, like Bracey, who are quick to argue that everything is hunky-dory with the American education system are not dealing with reality.