Posted By:
jeff prillamanI would like to point out that when you compare our country's education system you should be aware that by law we have to test everyone and everyone gets an education. In many countries once you hit middle school age you if your grades or test scores are substandard you go into a vocational skill and are "taken out" of the system. While we continue to test all levels of students whether they are college bound or not. If you compare our kids at the 3rd grade level or compare the top 20% or something like that you get an entirely different picture.
As far as the cost per student a large percentage of the cost per is tied into the special ed curriculum where we have students with individual teachers, and classrooms with 1 teacher for three students. In our local high school we have as many special ed teachers as history teachers.
There are numerous other factors to consider as well, from the inability to fire poor teachers, to the huge influx of foreign students that tax resources and create ESOL departments that are larger than the guidance department to the simple reality that many of our students (and to a large degree minority students) come from single parent household. and of course there are way too many chiefs and not enough indians in the school system as well.