The many algorithms social media takes a person through can be quite interesting. As of today, my TikTok has been filled with students and educators pointing out their dislikes about the American public education system. As a student, I know it can be difficult to navigate school, especially if you don’t feel supported. This article will take a look at the topic of public education in the United States. 

Most, if not all teachers have a curriculum they have to follow to meet the state’s standards. It is a guideline of what they have to teach to students so they are better prepared for the next level of education. Now, a curriculum is there to give structure to a classroom, but is this a tool used to make a state look better as a whole? Well, according to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the implementation of standardized testing, and No Child Left Behind in the 1990s, there has been a substantial shift in how much time has been allocated to subjects like Math and Language Arts. (47% increase in ELA, 37% increase in Math). This forced prioritization of Math and ELA has left less time for other subjects like Social Studies and Art. 

The argument of educators being forced to teach for the standardized test is especially prevalent when seeing the disparities that standardized testing brings. As of November 2024, Massachusetts no longer has the MCAS as a graduation requirement. Those in favor of this ballot question argued that the MCAS disproportionately affected those who are in ELL/ESL classes and those from underfunded districts. This was a step towards the direction of gearing curriculums to the needs of students. 

Another major event to take into consideration when determining if America is failing its students is COVID-19. The virus put a halt to the way students, educators, and parents are used to learning. Classes became optional, students were unmotivated to join class, and teachers had a difficult time getting students to pay attention. Once in-person learning resumed, chronic absences rose, and it seemed as if students were incapable of handling long periods of instruction. Is this a sign that the public education system isn’t doing enough to support the needs of students, or is this just a result of a lack of discipline? 

I think the incentive to learn isn’t as apparent in students anymore. A lot of kids expect things to come easily to them and have educators guide them through every little detail (which in hindsight, teachers should be able to prepare students to be able to do tasks independently). This does not apply to every student, but it feels as if school is a never-ending, boring cycle. The No Child Left Behind incentive does the opposite of what it entails and leaves numerous kids behind. It’s not fair to those students or educators to push them to the next level when they aren’t ready for it. If anything, it sets those children up for failure, an unfair failure at that.  So many teachers are also leaving the profession because of a lack of support from administrators and not feeling well compensated for the work they do. I believe these issues present in schools today are systemic and rooted in elitism and classism. In order to reverse these issues, there has to be something done at the state and federal level. 

Now to answer the question of “Is the American public school system failing its children”, well, it’s complicated. There is way more that can be done to benefit those who fall victim to the treacherous system, the very system that is failing so many children. Thousands of educators are truly passionate about teaching children and thousands of students who want to learn and achieve things in school. There needs to be a middle ground; one where teachers are well compensated for the hard work they pour into their jobs, and one where students are learning to a flexible standard. Education is important, whether students plan on going to a four-year university or not. The standard of teaching students for the sake of a test makes virtually no sense, especially knowing that life after high school isn’t like that. 

This is my opinion on a topic with so many layers. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section!