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I don't know how many teachers there are posting in this thread, but allow one to respond.
I teach for Chicago Public Schools. I teach in one of the worst performing schools in the city. There are countless reasons for why so many of our schools are failing. Please bear with me if I don't quote endless sources or post links to hundreds of websites to back up my claims. I've performed a lot of this research in the past and don't quite feel up to googling for the next 3 hours just to reply to this thread. If you don't mind, we can agree that if needed, I can find the information.
My ideas for fixing the system are as follows:
1. Either eliminate the Dept. of Education or give the federal government the authority to legislate education.
Since the federal government has no legislative authority over education, the only power it can hold over education is the money it doles out. Since the government isn't keen on just tossing money, they place conditions on the money it gives. These conditions are what No Child Left Behind is about. Due to the large diversity of student populations around the country, finding one standardized measure is difficult, yet is necessary to avoid challenges to the Act. Get rid of all federal funding and return the money to the states or give the federal government authority to legislate education.
2. Do away with compulsory education.
This is one of the more controversial fixes that most educators or politicians won't even dare mention. The reason is because it places the responsibility of preparing students for schooling squarely on the shoulders of the parents and the students themselves. Most behavior problems in a school stem from a student's inability to perform at the level required for that particular grade. Acting out is a means of detracting attention from the fact that they are unable to accomplish their tasks. This acting out takes educational time away from every other student and impedes their performance as well. By removing compulsory education, students are no longer required to attend school. Forced attendance is abandoned for a system that only allows entrance to an educational facitily once a student has proven a willingness to make efforts to learn.
This will also have the added effect that public schools will no longer be viewed as free day care centers for parents who don't know what to do with their kids. I was once told by a parent whose child refused to do any work and would tear up any paper or assignment given him, "He's your responsibility until 3:30. Don't bother me with what he does here." Sadly, this is a very common response from these particular parents.
It will also greatly reduce student populations in schools, thus allowing for the removal of teachers who are unwilling or incapable of doing their jobs.
3. Eliminate standard pay scales. Make salary increases similar to other professions - based on performance.
Do not confuse this with tying teacher salaries with student test scores. I have a small class size (20 students). However, in my 6th grade class, 14 of my students are reading at a 3rd grade level or lower. In order to guarantee my students pass the standardized tests, I would have to guarantee a minimum 3 years growth in one year. While this can be possible with highly motivated students, it is a very daunting task with students who refuse to read because of their insecurities. However, I believe a teacher must show student improvement. Any teacher who can't show student growth or shows a decline in student performance must defend their job or risk losing it. Salary increases must be performance-based, but that must be more subjective than simply checking test scores.
4. Any legislation passed concerning education must be done with the input of educators.
Contrary to the popular opinion of many, teachers are required to have at a minimum a 4 year degree from an accredited college and in order to teach in a public school must pass state examinations that - again, contrary to popular belief - do not consist of 2+2=4 type questions. A lot of legislation passed by states stems from lawsuits and uninformed citizenry who believe that anyone can teach so therefore they have an equal footing with teachers when it comes to education. While there are many intelligent people who are not educators, the notion that anybody with a child is an expert on education is a fallacy and any legislation concerning education that does not include the input of educators is, at best, lacking.
5. Offer competitive salaries that offer an incentive to keep quality educators and allow for competition among prospective employees.
In order to maintain certification, a teacher must pursue a graduate degree within the field of education. In many urban districts, the salary increase is insufficient to cover the cost of that education. For example, my wife just completed her Master's Degree. Her tuition costs (via student loan repayment) far exceed her salary increase and will for the next 10 years. This makes seeking a higher degree financially foolish for most teachers. Yet, without that higher degree, certification cannot be renewed.
Also, there is truth to the saying, "You get what you pay for." Countless teachers leave the profession within 5 years due to pay. While there are many teachers who love their profession, it's safe to say that a landlord or bank won't accept "love" as a payment. My wife is currently weighing career opportunities that will double her salary. Why stay in a profession that refuses to acknowledge education and experience with commensurate pay?
These measures may not be perfect, but from someone on the inside, they seem a lot more effective than current measures being used to "improve" education.
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"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses
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