As an elementary school teacher and mom of 3, here are some of my observations of why this is occuring: 1. Ineffective teaching…..so much curriculum is crap. Instead of direct instruction so many teachers leaning on group work, etc. 2. Hyper focus on lower quartile of students….thus diminishing the educational progress of middle and high achievers. Every meeting is about lower quartile…every resource…and the lower quartile in many cases are in class with high students (heterogenous groupings and all) and they slow down the progress of every student. My 3rd grader is gifted, in a gifted class, has finished all 3rd grade math curriculum and during specific times of the day his teacher puts the class in computers so she can work with ELL students. Insanity. And a reason why I’m contemplating pulling my kids out and putting them on Alpha. 3. Student behavior - so many disruptions, no true consequences. 4. Students with impaired ability to focus and preserve. Is this due to iPad use, neuroinflammation from food, environment? Who knows. 5. Parents who don’t want their child to have homework. Parents seem unbothered if their child is behind and don’t want to put in the extra work required to catch them up. 6. Immigration - many resources being taken up due to students not speaking English in classrooms.