Why do you think is causing American schools to fail?

Personally, I think it's because they keep lowering the standards. In Asia if you fail the test for university placement you don't get a job and that's it. That's why they are so smart their academics are competitive. Here if your child fails what happens? You give a pat on the back and say "you did your best, just keep trying."

We need teachers that are there to teach. I can't believe how much homework as the elementary kids get today. I got a better education than kids today. We didn't have computers to instantly look info up, we had to go to the library to actually look for the answers. We had respect for adults and had discipline, be it from the teacher, principals, or parents.

We learned the basics first: reading, writing, arithmetic. In our state (WA) we have the WASL test for 3rd, 8th, 10th grades to pass and those scores are deplorable. We need to focus on learning not rote memorizing for tests.

Kids also watch too much TV or play video games. We read or played games that engaged our minds. We also had chores to do, which taught us discipline. We usually had one parent home when we got out of school to make us do our homework. Our parents did not have to teach the subjects like they do now.

We are dumbing down our students and we need to hold the system accountable. If I had children in school today, I might home-school them, and I don't believe in homeschooling as a general rule.

WAKE UP, AMERICANS

liberal teachers

Lack of money in the school systems.
That leads to fewer teachers (they don't get paid enough).
Which leads to larger classes.
And that leads to many students missing a good education, just because they can't hear, understand or ask questions in such large classes.
(And teachers tend to pass on the difficult students, because they can't handle it either...)
Back to lack of money in the school systems.
Voters have to read ballots carefully and think of their children to get the money back on track for public schools.

There are a lot of factors contributing to the problems we see in American schools. These factors range from the lack of funding, to overly stressed teachers, to unmotivated students, to uninvolved parents, and more.

School districts continue to struggle year after year to create a budget that will pay for everything schools need. It's a shame when schools can't even afford to buy the simplest of supplies that teachers need to teach (ie books, teacher resources, tape, scissors, computers, math manipulatives, etc). Teachers end up spending a huge amount of their own money every year to get the materials they need to teach.

Teachers are stressed out in the classroom because they have 22+ students who's abitlity levels range from "above grade level" to "special education, far below grade level". Teachers are NOT just passing on students they can't handle. They are doing the best they can while being presented with so many challenges and limitations.

Students and parents need to get more involved in education. School and learning does not only take place between 8a.m. and 3 p.m. It is the responsiblity of parents to make sure their kids are going to school and getting there on time, doing their homework to the best of their abilities, and being productive students. Parents need to get involved in their kids schools. Go to PTO/PTA meetings, volunteer their time in the classrooms, go to parent/teacher conferences to discuss their child's strengths&weaknesses. Ask a teacher "What can I do to help?"

Well, first you'd have to decide what you mean by "fail."

Sure, some other countries are much more efficient, but that comes at the price of choice. Students are told by the school what career track they are on-- if the student has other aspirations, that's just too bad. How long do you suppose the American public would stand for a school system that told mom and dad what junior would be allowed to get an education for-- or even if it was going to continue past a certain point.

Even under and American system built on choice, we still aren't sure what schools are for. Are they to provide vocational training? Should all students be made college-ready, no matter what their ability? Are we trying to create good citizens, or just help people get the jobs they want? Should schools provide young people with a wide and varied background, or should Junior's career path set by age 15 and all classes from then on be focused on that career?

As a society, we don't know the answer (heck-- even adults can't agree whether it's more important to make big bucks, or have a happy life) and our schools reflect that cultural uncertainty. And because we have so many ideas about what schools are supposed to do, there will always be yardsticks by which schools will measure short.

I am fifteen and I go to a American school. I think personally, thats its because of the many standardized test given. Also, its the students. I had regular classes this year in a public school, it was awful. They were lazy, all they cared about was partying, doing drugs, and skipping. There is no learning in regular classes. I am happy to say I am never going to be in regular classes again, this year I go straight to AP. They asked me at the last ten minutes of class if they could copy from me after they spend an hour talking to their friends. This is way American schools are failing. We keep lowering are standard to make these kids past so we don't look bad. Their not doing their best, they could do way better.

I've been in both Asian schools and American schools and I don't think that the American schools are failing. Maybe a few individuals make the American schools look bad but from my personal experience, msot of my classmates do care about getting a good education. Compaing to Asia, American schools have the max. 30 students per class while the Asian schools have about 60 students per class min. The teachers in Asia favor students and give good grades to the students that he or she likes. In Asia, if you are doing bad in classes, they humiliate you in front of the whole class and suggests that you quit school. The Asian teachers kill the young children's imagination and creativity. When I went to school in Asia, I was given 3-5 hours of homework a night in grade 2. Just like you said, if you fail the university placement test then you don't get a job. How is that good? So if the people can't even survive that's a good thing?
Yes, Asian students are good at doing tests. But can you be certain that they are creative, able to work as a group, and think outside of the "box"?
Can you be certain that American schools are failing?