For students to reach their full potential, America must change its ways in public education. American public schools, as a whole, are flawed due to many factors; three of the main contributing factors are their unreasonably low standards, a less than sufficient number of qualified teaching professionals, and the emphasis on standardized testing, combined with the lack of emphasis on the skills required to develop strong character and responsibility among students. The first reason why the American public school system is broken is the unreasonably low standard that students are expected to meet. By only requiring their students to meet low standards; schools prepare students for failure not only in school, but also in life as they grow up and join the workforce. Katherine Baird explains that "this is happening with America's low educational standards: by setting the bar low, students underperform and are misled about the skills and knowledge required to succeed in the future" (31, 32 ). This happens because “many strongly, but mistakenly, believe that low expectations reflect our commitment to the disadvantaged and that raising them would harm the most vulnerable young people in our society” (Baird 118). Although this is for good reason, lowering standards for all students instead of helping those who are 'disadvantaged' by helping them overcome their disadvantage and encouraging them to do their best and achieve the high standards they are capable of achieving, public schools are harming their students instead of helping them. The public school system is not only flawed due to low standards, but also middle of paper...... in determining how intelligent their students are. In fact, research shows that students who do well on tests often fail to demonstrate mastery of tested material outside of school. For America to repair its public education system, it must change the way it views the teaching profession and encourage bright young people. to become teachers. They must also raise their standards to help students reach their full potential and succeed. Finally, they must stop placing extreme emphasis on standardized tests and teach students the skills that will help them become strong, hard-working citizens. If America's public schools are ever going to change, citizens must stand up and help shape the schools they want their children and grandchildren to attend. How much longer will Americans have to wait for public education to reach the standards most citizens expect? ??