The next logical question, of course, is who to blame. The answer? Just look around. Our culture is one that celebrates 140-character tweets, politicians who mangle the English language (see Sarah Palin’s “refudiate”), and sports stars who quit college after a year. While China emphasizes teacher training, our teacher unions complain about the Los Angeles Times analyzing teacher performance (the horror!). While China’s performance proves that a longer school year works, we protest against a proposed LAUSD schedule change because “it’s too hot in August.”

But while America is falling further and further behind, we continue to bleat “USA! USA!” Has ever a national ego been so unmatched by national performance? Our economy is in a rut, our mass-transit systems are the laughingstock of the world, and now our schools are being outperformed again and again.  No longer is China the country of cheap plastic goods, and no longer does being the most “powerful” country in the world entail being the most educated. Education is an investment, not an expense. The status quo is not acceptable anymore. China has raised the bar, and we must step it up.