The USA is sliding toward developing nation status in its educational system, leaving us ill equipped to compete in the growing global markets.
U.S. Education Slips In RankingsAnnual Study Finds Other Nations Zoom By U.S. In Student Achievement
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2005
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(AP) <!-- sphereit start -->The United States is losing ground in education, as peers across the globe zoom by with bigger gains in student achievement and school graduations, a study shows.

Among adults age 25 to 34, the U.S. is ninth among industrialized nations in the share of its population that has at least a high school degree. In the same age group, the United States ranks seventh, with Belgium, in the share of people who hold a college degree.

By both measures, the United States was first in the world as recently as 20 years ago, said Barry McGaw, director of education for the Paris-based Organization for Cooperation and Development. The 30-nation organization develops the yearly rankings as a way for countries to evaluate their education systems and determine whether to change their policies.

McGaw said that the United States remains atop the "knowledge economy," one that uses information to produce economic benefits. But, he said, "education's contribution to that economy is weakening, and you ought to be worrying."

The report bases its conclusions about achievement mainly on international test scores released last December. They show that compared with their peers in Europe, Asia and elsewhere, 15-year-olds in the United States are below average in applying math skills to real-life tasks.

Top performers included Finland, Korea, the Netherlands, Japan, Canada and Belgium.

Given what the United States spends on education, its relatively low student achievement through high school shows its school system is "clearly inefficient,"   http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/13/national/main838207.shtm

This debacle can be laid at the feet of the NEA which has become a PAC for the DNC.  With liberals in charge of our schools, it will not be long before we will be the laughingstock of industrial countries.
The question Is: what can be done to improve our school system?

Eliminate the NEA for starters.

i say let the teachers TEACH.  why not make teaching a job that everyone strives to do when they grow up. pay the teachers more money ( muchmore) and make them much more accountable for their pupils.  more people will want to do it and the cream of the crop will rise to the surface.  Why does the GOP always complain about education in the same breath they want to CUT CUT CUT. makes NO SENSE. if you put the same effort into education that you do on war and corporate greed, the problem would be solved.

what wrote:i say let the teachers TEACH.  why not make teaching a job that everyone strives to do when they grow up. pay the teachers more money ( muchmore) and make them much more accountable for their pupils.  more people will want to do it and the cream of the crop will rise to the surface.
I agree but the NEA will not allow this to happen.

Why does the GOP always complain about education in the same breath they want to CUT CUT CUT. makes NO SENSE. if you put the same effort into education that you do on war and corporate greed, the problem would be solved.

Was this on page 48 of the DNC Talking Points List?  Have you never heard of No Child Left Behind?  The Republicans had something to do with ole Teddy's bill.  

Oh, gee, here something from the Washington Post, probably one of your favorites, talking about just how great our schools are doing.  Get the NEA out of the schools so that those good teachers you were talking about can get into our schools and get paid for doing a good job versus following the union pay scale, tenure requirements, and teaching the NEA's agenda of indoctrinating our children into communism.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/04/AR2007120400730.html

what wrote: why not make teaching a job that everyone strives to do when they grow up. pay the teachers more money ( muchmore) and make them much more accountable for their pupils.  more people will want to do it and the cream of the crop will rise to the surface.  

Holy Crap!  This is a FREE MARKET solution with which I agree whole-heartedly.  Assuming also the elimination of Tenure.

Of course, such a free market solution might result in greater hiring and retention of teachers who are not involved in the Communist indoctrination prevalent in most schools.  C'est la vie!

what wrote: Why does the GOP always complain about education in the same breath they want to CUT CUT CUT. makes NO SENSE.

I can only assume that by using the term "GOP" on this forum, that you instead mean conservatives.

In answer to your question, there are four reasons why this does, in fact, make sense:
1) The FEDERAL government has no business in the business of education -- the funds for public education could, and should, be provided by States and Localities for each State's and Locality's own educational needs.  A "cut" in Federal funding simply means that all funding be done by States and Localities -- not that the overall funding needs to be decreased.
2) Neither the Federal Government, nor UNIONIZED teachers have any business in dictating or even forming suggested curricula, or promoting "new" teaching methods.
3) Suggesting that NO cuts be made, or that there be increases in funding, ASSUMES that the funding provided is used wisely, and for the purposes intended.  This may or may not be the case -- but it's hardly a "given".
4) There are NO "CUTS" in the Federal Budget.  There have not been in many years.  What YOU refer to as a cut, is merely a reduction in annual INCREASE.  This is routinely termed a "CUT" by Communists in Congress and the Mainstream Media -- It is also a BALD-FACED LIE.  If you doubt, check the amount spent from year-to-year in any budget category for which Communists claim there have been "CUTS".  You will find only that the percentage annual increase has been reduced.

what wrote:if you put the same effort into education that you do on war and corporate greed, the problem would be solved.

This is simply a ridiculous aspersion with no point or purpose but to insult.  However, it lacks the ability to even accomplish that much, as it is based on a ridiculous premise.