正在同步电影信息
Americanpublicschoolshavebeengrowingprogressivelyworse.AccordingtotheU.S.DepartmentofEducationnationaltesting,only35%ofAmericanhighschoolseniorsareproficientinreading,basedon2006data.Andfewerthanone-in-four,23%,areproficientinmath.Ontheglobalstage,Americarankslastineducationaleffectivenessamonglargeindustrializedcountriesdespitethehighestspendingperstudentintheworld.Itpresentsaconundrum:Howhastherichestandmostinnovativesocietyonearthsuddenlylosttheabilitytoteachitschildrenatalevelthatothermoderncountriesconsider"basic"?Iftheproblemisthatwe'renotspendingenoughonschools,whichmanypeoplebelieve,it'sinstructivetostudytheU.S.statethatspendsmorethananyotherperstudent:NewJerseyWithspendingashighas$483,000perclassroom(confirmedbyNJEducationDepartmentrecordsfor2005-06),NewJerseystudentsfareonlyslightlybetterthanthenationalaverageinreadingandmath,andrank37thinaverageSATscores.AndnotevenhalfofNJ'shighschoolfreshmen,despitethestate'senormous"investment,"areacademicallyreadyforcollegefouryearslater.Thefactismuchofthepublicconsidersteachersalariesandoveralleducationbudgetstobethesamething--ifyou'reforraisingone,youmustbeforraisingtheother.Butasthefilmshows,inmanycases80-90%ofthespendinggoessomewherebesidesteachersalaries.Infactbillionsofdollars,asconfirmedbyindependentaudits,arewasted."TheCartel"investigateswhatiscausingthisvastunderachievementandwhatcanbedonetoturnthingsaround.
