The US education system is failing and this issue must be resolved. To some, this statement may be a source of discomfort as a result of America’s patriotic spirit.

However, the truth must be received in its purest state in order to inspire a shift in thought and subsequently create change.

As academics, aspiring professionals, professors and faculty of Wilkes University, the subject of American educational issues is by no means new.

The vast majority of pedagogical affiliates have some understanding of the nation’s gradually fading strength in the realm of education.

The US education system’s failing state is a major problem that must be effectively resolved. Overlooking this issue in hopes that it will resolve itself is no longer good enough.

With this being said, what is the extent of failure in the nation’s educational system?

According to the Worldtop20.org, as of 2018, the world’s top 10 performing countries consists of South Korea, Finland, Norway, Russia, Hong Kong, Japan, Estonia, Latvia, Israel and Sweden.

Of this list of top performing countries, the United States is nowhere to be found. In fact, the United States ranks 26 educationally.

This list consisted of 201 countries. It must also be said that the nation cannot afford to be complacent in understanding these figures.

Ranking 26 of 201 countries should not be seen as, “well, we perform better than 175 other countries so we’re OK”. As Americans we should aspire to be excellent on an academic level.

According to historynet.com, “as recently as 20 years ago, the United States was ranked No.1 in high school and college education.” What this essentially reveals is that in the past two decades something changed in the United States education system.

What factors contributed in this shift from number one to 26 in education?

Matthew Lynch writing from theedadvocate.org suggests that this change came as a result of 18 different factors.

A few of these reasons consist of a lack of parental involvement, lessened school funding, outdated teacher training methods and not knowing how to handle and integrate technology into the classroom.

Evaluating the root of the issue is integral in our hopes of improving the educational system. There are a series of factors that have resulted in a mediocre level of performance in comparison to the world’s top 10 countries in education.

As Americans we should aspire to be in the list of the world’s top 10 countries educationally. Settling for 26 is not part of what makes us American.

In order to effectively resolve this phenomenon, I feel that it is imperative that teachers, professors and those involved in educating the masses are paid well.

As a nation we pay doctors, lawyers, engineers and those involved in STEM related fields generously for their amazing efforts in health, medicine and justice.

However, who is responsible for allowing our nation to have these professionals. How do these professionals acquire their knowledge? The answer lies in teachers.

As a result of this, teachers should be paid the same amount or more than these professionals as they are the source of their expertise.

The antiquated chalk on a blackboard and rote memorization must also be left in the past. As inhabitants of the Information Age, we need to take advantage of technology; it is not the enemy but the future.

We also need to establish a standardized, nationwide curriculum. In order to provoke an improvement in education, the nation has to undergo great changes.

We have to not be afraid to shake up the pillars of our current educational paradigm. In order to resolve this matter, we can no longer settle for the status quo, we need an educational reform.