It’s no secret the public school system in America is in serious need of reform. 
Test scores will show in the last 30 years, American students are falling behind their counterparts in other developed countries in important subjects like reading, math and science. Why? Are American children really becoming less intelligent? 
To understand the problem and create successful change we shouldn’t look at the student or outside issues, but instead look within the current public education system and understand how it is failing the student, not the other way around. 
Although there are a number of issues that could be at the forefront of the conversation, it starts with teachers.  Teaching, especially high school and elementary level should be treated as one of the most important professions in the country. 
Countries leading the world in education treat their teachers like the United States treat a doctor, lawyer or an engineer (salary included). Acceptance to an education program in these countries is comparable to law school or medical school. 
Once in the program, education students partake in several years of extremely strenuous schedules preparing them to inspire their future students. 
Once employed, teachers are compensated for good performance while bad performance results in demotion. 
Conversely, in most states in the U.S., regardless of performance, teachers receive tenure or something comparable in just a few years, making termination nearly impossible. This creates complacency in the classroom. 
Having attended a public school in Mississippi, I experienced this first hand.  I remember hearing numerous teachers say to students, “I get paid whether you all learn this or not,” or something to that effect. I remember wondering, “This is someone who is supposed to teach us and inspire us to become successful?” 
Yeah, I didn’t think so either. All teachers in our schools should have passion in their craft and strive to improve every day, every second they teach, and they should be held accountable. 
Passion and enthusiasm rubs off on students and inspires them to be successful.  I want to make this clear.
I am not bashing all teachers or educators as a whole because I had some great teachers whom I respect and admire immensely.  
I am simply saying the current system is setting many students up for failure by keeping extremely bad, unqualified teachers in the system creating an endless cycle of mediocrity. Shouldn’t teaching be looked at as most other professions? 
If a doctor commits malpractice, he loses his license.  Attorneys: same thing. 
If Yankees’ third baseman Alex Rodriguez goes 3 for 25 with 14 strikeouts in the playoffs while publicly cursing at management, he’s benched. 
Our standards for not only teachers but the entire school district should be risen.
Solutions?  The obvious answer for many is more funding.  However, Huffington Post reported recently the U.S. ranks in the top five in spending per student, ($10,000 per year) yet in the high teens to mid 20s in nearly all major subjects. 
Shouldn’t how much we spend correlate with performance? 
I think more funding would be great if proven to be beneficial, but unfortunately that is not the case. Thoughtlessly throwing money at an already debilitated system that has seen little change since integration is not working for American students. 
More resources should be concentrated on reforms that help train our teachers more effectively and create programs like charter schools which hold minimum standards of performance. 
The bottom line is, American society has come to accept the fact our schools are declining but nothing has happened to change or improve. 
With the innovative and technological changes happening every day globally, the consequences of having a poorly prepared work force could be staggering.  
We have to make drastic changes to repair the current state of education. 
If lack of action continues, it undoubtedly will negatively affect the future.