Proper and Improper Literacy

My case seems like a counter point to the way the working class people have responded to attempts at making them "improperly literate". The student seems to not be concerned with being "properly literate" or "improperly literate".
Although I am disappointed and distressed about my student's standing and participation in my class, I don't fault him for it for a few reasons.
For example, some reasons for his lack of motivation could be that he may have an undiagnosed learning disability or be dealing with a personal struggle. But I believe the main reason is that he does not push himself is that he does not understand the power having an education holds for him like the way the writers of the "Register". This is what all teachers essentially try to do everyday: show the student the power they will have once they master a skill. This is difficult for the student to see the long term benefits as a child- even a senior in high school has likely not witnessed how their education can empowered them or hindered them.
I often tell my students something along the lines of, "If you do this..bla la bla.. it will help you get a job/scholarship" or "...it will help you in a job interview." Do they want a job? Do they want to go to college? Maybe. Maybe not. Someday but not really now. Yes, if I have to.
So it dawned on me to rephrase this. I said something like, "When I say being a part of FBLA could help you get a job, I mean it could help you get an awesome job... doing something you love, making the money you want or working the hours you want... not just any job."
The first thought that came to my head when I read "ways in which teachers are complicit in creating 'improperly literate' students" was when teachers teach to the test. Although the teachers are subject to governmental policies so often times they are puppets on a string. I try to put myself in the role of the 'decision makers' in education, and they are tasked with a tough job (creating fair rules for all students, easily documentable and uniform state and national assessment assessment) but then they essentially delegate that tough job to teachers.
And as the text describes, our students read the teacher more than the text. They are conditioned to only focus on what will be on the test.
A friend of mine told me about a statistic she read once. It communicated something along the lines of the vast majority of students used to go to college because they wanted to change or improve the world. Now when a student is asked why they are in college they often say to earn more money.
Education has become more about grades than learning for students and educators alike. Grades=College. College=Money (or so people think).
I hope that was enough of 'whatever I damn well please' :)