For generations, public education has been hailed as the great equalizer—a pathway to opportunity and a cornerstone of democracy. Yet beneath this promise, America’s school system is showing deep and persistent cracks.
“Virtually every major city shows declining proficiency for their students, even as school spending continues to increase. For years, we have been told that more money is what is needed to improve student learning. Yet more money has not worked for one simple reason: money is not the problem. The problem is the system,” reports the Discovery Institute.
And here’s why.
Stagnant Academic Progress Over Decades
The most recent NAEP results show a historic decline in student achievement. The average NAEP math score for eighth graders fell by 8 points to 274 out of 500—a drop described by Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, as “stark” and “significant.”
Detroit stands out as one of the lowest-performing large urban districts. In 2022, only 5% of Detroit eighth graders were proficient in reading, and just 4% were proficient in math, according to NAEP data. For comparison, the national averages for eighth-grade math proficiency and reading proficiency were 27% and 29%, respectively.
Jeanne Allen, CEO of the Center for Education Reform, states, “Year after year, the entrenched bureaucracies that control our nation’s public education system fail to address the math learning crisis in America. It is time for real reform.”
Widening Achievement Gaps and Disparities
Educational opportunity and outcomes remain deeply unequal, with disparities based on race, socioeconomic status, and geography. African American and Latino students are significantly less likely than white or Asian American students to have access to college-ready courses. For example, only 57% of Black students have access to a full range of math and science courses required for college readiness, compared to 81% of Asian American and 71% of white students.
Nationally, children from the top 1% of income earners are 77 times more likely to attend an Ivy League college than those from the bottom quintile. “The disparity in education funding distorts everything. It deprives students of opportunities, undermines teachers’ efforts and perpetuates cycles of poverty and disadvantage. It’s a systemic issue that demands systemic solutions.”— Lisa Andrew, Silicon Valley Education Foundation.
Declining Test Scores Post-Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing issues. In 2023, only 56% of American fourth-graders were performing at grade level in math, a steep drop from 69% in 2019, Vox reports. Reading scores also fell. For example, only 65% of third-graders were on grade level in 2023, down from 72% before the pandemic. By 2024, most fourth- and eighth-graders were still performing below pre-pandemic 2019 levels in both reading and math.
The pandemic widened pre-existing opportunity and achievement gaps. Lower-performing students lost more ground than higher-performing peers, and students in high-poverty and majority-Black schools experienced the greatest setbacks—up to seven months of unfinished learning in math for students in low-income schools.
Inequitable and Insufficient School Funding
U.S. per-pupil spending was about $16,080 in 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), which is significantly higher than the OECD average of about $11,990. However, this average masks enormous disparities. For example, New York spends over $25,000 per student, while Idaho spends less than $9,000.
About 46% of school funding comes from local sources, creating a “positive feedback loop” that entrenches educational inequality based on ZIP code. A 2022 EdBuild report estimated that nearly 9 million students attend chronically underfunded schools, disproportionately affecting Black, Latino, and low-income children.
Outdated, One-Size-Fits-All Curriculum
The current public school system was designed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to prepare students for industrial-era jobs. Most students move through the same material at the same pace, regardless of their individual strengths, interests, or learning needs.
A 2022 Gallup survey revealed that only 32% of U.S. students feel engaged at school, and disengagement rises as students progress through grade levels. “Standardized curricula and testing have created a system where compliance is valued over curiosity and creativity.”— Sir Ken Robinson, Education Expert.
Students also learn at different speeds and in different ways. And according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, 1 in 5 children have attention and learning issues that are not addressed by standardized instruction.
Overemphasis on Standardized Testing
Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2002 and the subsequent Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), annual standardized testing in math and reading for grades 3–8 and once in high school has become mandatory in all states. The Arts Education Partnership reports that arts instruction has been cut in 20% of schools since the implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
The National Research Council concluded that high-stakes tests “have not increased student achievement as measured by independent assessments and may have reduced attention to higher-order thinking skills.” The American Psychological Association found that 81% of teens identify academic pressure and testing as a significant source of stress.
Teacher Shortages and Low Morale
Widespread teacher shortages, exacerbated by low pay and a lack of respect, undermine educational quality. As of 2024, the U.S. faces a shortage of over 300,000 teachers and staff (National Education Association).
Shortages are most severe in special education, math, science, and bilingual education. Rural and high-poverty urban districts are hit hardest, often unable to fill vacancies for entire school years.
The average U.S. public school teacher salary in 2023 was $68,469 (NEA), but when adjusted for inflation, teacher pay has declined by 6.4% over the past decade. This is about 23% less than other college-educated professionals with similar experience.
These shortages force schools to increase class sizes. In some districts, student-to-teacher ratios exceed 30:1—well above the recommended 16:1. “When teachers are stretched thin, students suffer. Classrooms become less engaging, and the most vulnerable learners fall through the cracks.”— Linda Darling-Hammond, President, Learning Policy Institute.
Lack of Accountability and Transparency
Schools and educators often receive funding and job security regardless of performance. In the 2016–17 school year, 97% of Detroit teachers were rated “effective” or better, even though only 16.1% of eighth-grade students were proficient in English Language Arts, 6.8% in math, and 6.9% in social studies. This pattern is not unique to Detroit—statewide, 98–99% of Michigan teachers have received ratings of “effective” or better in recent years.
Recent legislative changes in Michigan further reduce the weight of student test scores in teacher evaluations, shifting focus to classroom observations and professional growth. Critics argue this may further weaken accountability as student progress is increasingly decoupled from teacher assessments.
Failure to Prepare Students for the Modern World
A 2024 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers notes that more than 70% of employers report that recent graduates lack essential skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and adaptability. The focus on standardized testing leads to “teaching to the test,” which prioritizes rote memorization over deeper understanding and application of knowledge.
The 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) found U.S. students ranked 13th in reading, 18th in science, and 30th in math among OECD countries. U.S. students also scored below average in “problem-solving in technology-rich environments,” a key indicator of readiness for the digital economy.
Only 17% of U.S. high school students report having participated in STEM-related extracurriculars, and fewer than 30% feel “very prepared” for college or career pathways in technology or engineering (Gallup, 2023).
Insufficient Focus on Soft Skills and Mental Health
40% of employers believe the education system has not helped close the soft skills gap, with teamwork, communication, and problem-solving among the most sought-after attributes. Mental health challenges among students have also surged in recent years.
For example, the proportion of university students reporting mental health difficulties in the UK nearly tripled between 2016/17 and 2022/23, rising from 6% to 16%. In the U.S., around 40% of students struggle with a mental health disorder, with anxiety (32%), depression (20%), and sleep disorders (20%) being the most common.
Despite increased demand, 52% of public schools report struggling to provide adequate mental health services due to insufficient funding, staffing shortages, and a lack of trained professionals. Only 48% of schools feel they are effective in meeting students’ mental health needs.
Systemic Resistance to Change
Education systems are described as tangled webs of regulations, mandates, and policies that have accumulated over generations. These layers of bureaucracy create compartmentalized “silos”—departments or offices that operate independently and often fail to coordinate, leading to incoherence and inefficiency.
Many reforms are top-down, driven by policymakers without adequate input from teachers or local communities. As a result, changes may be superficial, with schools making only nominal adjustments to appear compliant.
Cultural and Societal Factors Undermining Education
Changing family structures, declining parental involvement, and increased social and economic pressures contribute to a challenging environment for students and schools. Distrust of experts and loss of community support further erode the foundation of public education.
Research consistently finds that children from non-intact families (such as single-parent or blended households) are less likely to achieve higher educational attainment compared to those from nuclear families. Absenteeism can also account for up to one-third of the achievement gap between students in high- and low-poverty schools.
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