I’m a teacher in an urban school district. I see the cycle of people with a lack access to quality education bringing up kids in districts with limited resources. The more kids need the less they have access to. It’s the result of a culture of segregation and a culture the continues poverty.
“Why should my tax money go to schools? I don’t have any kids there”

I voted politics but one answer does not cover the question well. More money is needed, but for hiring the best not necessarily for better stuff. More money is political. Is it culture, or families being overwhelmed just trying to live day to day?

I have always though that we force a broad variety of personalities into a one size education to fit all. Best practices for education takes several forms related to students preferred learning style and the content interests.

This is not easy to answer in a survey, but I like the discussion.

Culture. The Anglosphere has inherited the legacy of Muscular Christianity which had a very anti-itellectual, anti-teacher slant to it. Fix that and we get a society which will provide all the other things on the list. And, vide Rugglesby, might broaden the scope to provide more than factory fodder in the public system and expendable junior officers in the private one.

WHat is taught has such a narrow focus, it concentrates on what is of value in the workforce.

I think it is more cultural and a matter of priorities. In the U.S. we spend more money on defense than the ten hext highest defense spenders, none of which are our allies. Shift our priorites and suddenly eduction becomes very affordable. So, I see the problem as mostly cultural... at least here in the U.S.

children should be taught how to learn not what to learn.

Obsticle: Teaching that "Faith" is a Virtue and a path to Truth and denying Science and Reason Are!

Politics by influence from religious and anti-LGBTQ groups are stunting the growth of our public schools.

i said finance but it is tightly twisted up with politics