I also went to different schools in different places, and another thing I noticed is that they're all very different. Schools are administered at the local lev

I also went to different schools in different places, and another thing I noticed is that they're all very different. Schools are administered at the local level, not the state or federal levels. So they can be run in totally different ways. Schools in richer districts tend to have pretty good reputations, whereas schools in poor ghetto districts are notorious for their bad teaching and conditions. I feel safe in assuming that your 10-15 year old anecdote, or whatever you're seeing in your local schools, does not jive with the experience that some poor kid in Detroit public schools is getting today.