Across the nation, parents and teachers have grown concerned about the current state of the American education system.
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Last month, a Texas high school educator broke down in tears after his seniors failed to complete a basic reading exercise.
This was not an isolated incident, either, as the average reading scores for high school seniors — released by the Nation's Report Card — fell to their lowest level since 1992.
Modern-day students are also struggling with mathematics. In August, a longtime professor at the University of California, Berkeley confessed that she spends long hours teaching fractions to her undergrad students.
New Yorkers Sound Off on Struggling School System
A recent survey revealed that New York parents are especially critical of the American education system. Roughly 95 percent of New York City residents believe city schools need to improve their reading and math scores or spend less money, according to a new poll by the non-profit organization The Empire Center.
"I have never seen such a broad condemnation of business as usual," Empire Center President Zilvinas Silenas told the New York Post.
New York City spends between $37,000 and $40,000 per student. That is nearly double the national average, according to Empire Center.
However, the exorbitant spending has not yielded above-average test scores among New York-based students.
New York's fourth-grade and eighth-grade students score below the U.S. average in mathematics, and only about average in reading. In Grade 4, New York students are outpaced in reading scores by Mississippi and Florida, and trail Texas in mathematics.
Last month, the New York State Education Department released preliminary data that revealed that more than half of 3rd- to 5th-grade students failed their reading proficiency state exams.
With billions invested in the school system, New York's continued issues with reading and math proficiency are a troubling trend.
New York spends a staggering $90 billion on K-12 schools and boasts the highest-paid public school educators in the country. Additionally, New York has one of the lowest student-to-teacher ratios. This means teachers can offer more guidance to struggling students.
Despite the heavy spending and ample supply of teachers, New York students are still outshone by students in less-funded areas.
