Education and the American Way

Today's topic is about education in this country, today.
Many years ago, we set up a public education system and made it the law that everyone become become educated in this country. A great part of our greatness is that we demand that all of our children be able to read, write, do math, understand science, know their history, etc.
In academic tests, America has fallen far behind all industrialized nations and even some third world countries.
Our solution for the past 50 years has been to "throw" more money at education. Obviously, this isn't working. An example is that the school district that spends the most money per student per year has the lowest academic scores in the country. That school district is Washington, D.C., spending over $13,000 per student per year. Now they're even "bribing" students with cash payments for good attendance, being on time, doing their homework, etc. What is with that ?
How do we get back to being #1 in education in the world ? We have more colleges and universities than any other nation, but they are filled with foreign students, not Americans.
In this country, education is a right afforded to all (for free). What will it take to uplift our students to a class of well educated people that go beyond their basic education and excel in the halls of higher education ? Certainly, money isn't the overall answer.
First we must look at the incentives that are given to our teachers to see why our children are NOT being educated and motivated.
A major problem starts at home. Every parent must become more involved in knowing what their child is learning, how they can help to increase that learning and to motivate their children to do better.
There must be rules about attire, no cell phones or video games, or any other distractions. After all, this is school, not a lounge or social event.
Almost anyone can become a teacher. Some are well suited for that job, but many are not. One of the big barriers to improving our level of education is the Teacher's Union, which stands in the way of any change. I suggest letting the Teacher's Union "scream their heads off" as the following changes are put into effect.
(1) Every teacher in the public school system must take an exam every two years to prove their efficiency in both the subject(s) that they're teaching as well as their teaching methods.
(2) Teachers salaries will be based on the scores of these exams. For every point above the national average that a teacher scores, they will be given a 1% raise for the next two years. Anyone falling more than 10 points below the national average, they will be put on probation and must retest the following year. Falling below a second time will constitute immediate dismissal and cancellation of their teaching credentials.
(3) Bonuses of 1% per student that ends the year with all A's will be paid to the responsible teacher.
(4) We must go back to a grading system of 0 through 100 rather than the A through D grading that we now use.
(5) Sports must become an extra curricular activity financed by the budget (less than for academics) allowed for Physical Education. After all, aren't these students in school to be educated, not to play ball ?
(6) English only is to be spoken in all classes (with the exception of foreign language classes).
(7) A multilevel system must be put in place so that students with learning difficulties be in classes that teach at a slower rate and where the classes are small enough so each student can get as much of the teachers help and attention as is required for that student to become educated in the basics. The next level up would be for the average student and the classes would be appropriately sized so that every student can avail themselves of their teachers time and help. A third level would be set up for the exceptionally bright and motivated student to be able to not only learn the grade level that they are in but to have an opportunity to take on more advanced learning in those as well as other subjects.
(8) All students must be made responsible for their participation in their learning process. Any student resisting learning or disruptive must be removed from their class immediately and not permitted to return until they change their attitude.
(9) At the end of 10th grade, students that are not "academically motivated" will spend their next two years in a trade school where they will have the opportunity to learn skills for a particular career (auto mechanics, plumbing, computer repair, landscaping, etc.)
(10) An my student not qualifying for any of the above will be put in a special class where they will be given mundane assignments and "baby sat" until they reach legal age where they may leave the system. These students will not be allowed to mingle with the rest of the student population during the school day or on school property. Yes, they are the outcasts and are being partitioned away from those that want an education.
What these changes will do is give both teachers and students the incentives to do their very best. Within a few years after these changes are put into effect, fine tuning to the system may occur, making it work even better.
If the money spent on education is reallocated to meet the above , we'll find that we can educate our children for far less than we're spending on them now. Filling a classroom with computers, building a first class football field, having "school elections", restricting discipline, etc. contributes nothing to educated our young ones that we expect to run our country, our businesses and maintain our infrastructure someday.