<p>Well, if you look at the educational outcomes and the results of cross-national testing, they have a reason to laugh. </p>
<p>And, don’t be parochial. The US is not the only country in the world which attempts to educate everyone. Germany, for example, has a very successful tracking system, where people who don’t want to/don’t have the skills for a college degree go through fantastic apprenticeships for many professions (some of them high paying). Finland, one of the two countries with the best educational outcomes has too. But, many other countries, like the US don’t have tracking. And, they still get better outcomes than the US.</p>
<p>I hate my public school. Barely any actual learning takes place, and the teachers don’t believe that any one is capable of anything. One of my very favorite teachers flat out told me that she could not give my honors level English II class thought provoking homework, because it would go over the heads of all but two or three students.
The honors classes are not taken because a student is academically able, but because they give a GPA boost. Taking an honors class and barely passing is better than a regular class as far as GPA goes. So you get really emotionally/academically immature individuals in high level classes, which really hinders the whole class.
The worst part is being overlooked in classes because I’m not a walking textbook. I’m a gifted student, and attend summer classes that foster actual learning. It’s such a breath of fresh air to find a teacher that isn’t afraid to discuss Marx and Rousseau with a bunch of sixteen year olds.
I may not be the most motivated student in regular high school, but when I have a teacher who understands that I am high-ability, I am extremely excited about learning.
I think the lack of gifted education, and focusing on the lowest common denominator is the real flaw in the educational system.</p>
<p>We have a “one size fits all” public education system that seeks egalitarian outcomes above all else. That’s why, even with all our resources, we’re globally in the middle of the pack when it comes educational results. In other countries, kids are quickly separated along the dumb/slack - smart/motivated continuum. Here, we wait until college or the working world to do it. It comes as a big surprise to a lot of people.</p>