Political Disputes

American education, despite all the money that’s been sunk into it, has been deteriorating since the 1960’s.  American eighth graders rank 19^th out of 38 countries in all subjects they were tested in and most inner city schools have a dropout rate of up to 75%.  Fourth grade students tested in math, science and history were in the bottom 25% in comparison with other countries, while ranking only 32% proficiency in reading skills.

There are many theories why America’s educational system is in such distress but most educators agree that today’s schools are little more than daycare centers to many of their students.  Unable to effectively discipline students or even to enforce dress codes, over half of all public schools report at least one crime per year to the police and ten percent of the schools have reported serious crimes. 

Although educational expenditures have doubled over the past thirty years, graduation rates are plummeting and only nine percent of dropouts obtain their GED, according to the latest statistics.  With public school dropout rates at an all-time high, American youth is quickly becoming a generation of ignorance.  Educators agree that a major overhaul is necessary and if the country expects to compete effectively in the global market.