"A world-class education is the most important factor in determining not only whether our children can compete for the best jobs, but also whether America can outperform other countries in the world. America's business leaders understand that when it comes to education, we need to up our game. That's why we must work together to put an exceptional education within reach of every American child." -President Barack Obama, 18. July 2011. Although everyone agrees with the president, and most are aware that the current system is broken, not everyone agrees on what steps should be taken to fix it. that the answer is to address these issues through a government-controlled Department of Education and a mandatory, standardized curriculum Others are adamantly opposed to this, arguing that a more. Extensive government involvement would do more harm than good. Additionally, some believe that parents or the individual should decide their own education. What is not debated is that to achieve a common understanding, all parties will have to put aside their politics, religious beliefs, moral differences and personal ideologies, which is easier said than done. to do. system, the focus tends to be on the steady decline of our testing programs; but what is more alarming is how American students compare to students in other industrialized countries. American students lag far behind their counterparts in almost every educational area in Asia and Europe, including math and science. Additionally, data suggests that U.S. students are gradually declining and continue to fall behind each year. Whichever side is in the middle of the paper, bureaucrats who don't seem to have our best interests in mind. Let me be clear, let there be no doubt in your mind: if the American education system dies, the American dream dies with it. Works Cited Chabot, Leo L. “A US Department of Education? YES - It's time to give education the status it deserves" Interview with Daniel B. Taylor, West Virginia State Superintendent of Schools US News & World Report May 29, 1978; For and Against; Pg 75 Deeptha thattai “A History of Public Education in the United States” http://www.serventfree.net/~aidmnejournal/publications/201-11/publiceducationinthe unitedstates.html.WEBFlores, John. globally competitive » Deseret Morning News August 6, 2011 Gordon, Howard RD “The History and Growth of Vocational Education in America” Tappan NJ: Allyn and Bacon, Prentice Hall, 1999. Print..