From kindergarten to university, the U.S. falls short on education. The system can be fixed – but not without first addressing the root causes of its problems.
The U.S. is a nation based in tradition, and unfortunately, that bleeds into academia. While technology has made its way into the classroom, outdated teaching hasn’t made its way out. The unwillingness to change prevents innovation from students and teachers.
Mandatory curricula have made it difficult or impossible for teachers to update the material they teach. Low pay and mistreatment have led to teacher shortages across the country. This has left American students at a stark disadvantage to their international peers.
Setting academic standards nationwide would improve this problem. The federal government isn’t constitutionally permitted to set academic standards itself but, as in the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, can require states to set them. But since every state is different, so are their curricula.
This leaves the SAT, ACT and AP exams as the imperfect means of standardization. These tests favor students with money for tutors and time to study. Their pandemic-driven decline could lead to major changes in education.
Wealth inequality causes problems across the education system. Access to money almost solely determines the type of education students will receive.
Those who can afford private school can pay for a fine education and superior academic resources. This sets those students in place to attend and succeed in college.
Now, this doesn’t mean that public school students are damsels in distress and have no hope for college, but it must be acknowledged that there’s a clear difference in advantage between public and private schools.
Not only does the curriculum differ, but the funding does too. Where private schools receive funds via tuition and donations, public school systems are a bit more complex.
When the housing market is down, so are the surrounding public school districts. The amount of homeowners in an area and the amount they pay in property tax contributes to the allocated funding to public schools. Therefore, in rural and urban areas where homeowners aren’t as common, students are left with less funds.
This system perpetuates classism and weakens the education system. Leveling the playing field for students would optimize academic success and lead them to brighter futures.
In the meantime, current wealth inequalities leave us with a disheartening reality.
39 million Americans are college dropouts. Meanwhile, students from abroad travel thousands of miles to attend our universities. For the sake of our students, leaders must address the disconnect between the success of American students and American institutions.
In a country that prides itself on being number one, our education system should match. Investing in American students and teachers will launch the country to new levels of success.
Jemiah Clemons is an 18-year-old kinesiology freshman from Miami, Florida.
