Let's be blunt.  There has been a long term downward trend in the average intelligence of Americans.  Dumber people beget dumber children.  It is sad but it is true.  People who go to elite colleges are now made fun of.  We celebrate low-information people with their own TV shows - see Duck Dynasty for example.  News is labelled "fake" when it isn't while lies are held up as truths (or ignored) when they are repeated.  And people believe it.  This nation is slipping toward an anti-education direction.  We seriously consider adding things like Intelligent Design to our curricula even when there is no rational reason to do so.  Our administration has pulled out of the Paris accords even though all available science shows how dire the consequences could be if we don't halt CO2 emissions.  

While children in many other nations cherish their education, most of our kids would prefer to avoid school altogether.  We need to foster a systemic change in the nation's attitude toward education.