Education in America

I've read a lot of articles and essays on America's education system and its flaws this week and what I've discovered is that America may not be the great country it is said to be. Many articles pointed to the same things as the reason for our failing education system: fewer hours per day and days per year spent in school, lack of respect for teachers, and pointless standardized tests. Compared to other developed countries, America ranks relatively low in various subjects. As a high school student, I agree on standardized tests and that it isn't a fair representation of what students are capable of. However, I disagree with increasing time spent in school to match countries like South Korea and Japan. Even though those countries produce exemplary students, it comes with a cost as South Korea has extremely high suicide rates among grade school and college students. With America's already rising suicide rate, taking time away from students that could be used to relax and escape the stress of academics may be detrimental. Another interesting thing about the lack of respect for teachers is that people who choose a career in education are essentially leading future generations to succeed in order to ensure all generations are given the best education possible. Without teachers, any of the "respectable" jobs would cease to exist. It's unfair that Americans don't hold teachers in higher regard with the significant impact they have on America's youth and future. Based on what the articles I read argued, it doesn't seem like America is moving closer towards a solution but rather farther away with the increase in standardized tests and such.