The American education system is like a failing government, and almost every president has realized this. Unfortunately, many Americans do not realize how far removed this educational “government” is. Over the past twenty years, America has gone from being #1 in higher education to a place where only 25% of high school graduates are ready to go to college (11 Facts about Education in America). What happened? Our country has lost the hunger for knowledge and the value of education it once had. To solve this problem, our education system must become a trichotomy in which students are the presidents, teachers and principals are Congress, and parents judge the system's productivity. Just as a president controls his country, students should be in charge of our education system. . Like a president, for a student to do anything, they must be taught how to do their job, or in this case, how to learn. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) intend to do this. The plan integrates and overlaps the social and science studies curriculum with early literacy skills (Hirsch). Additionally, with Common Core, teachers will no longer be able to provide information to their students. Removing it will allow students to learn on their own. In Finland they also teach their children this skill from an early age by encouraging early literacy (D'Orio). However, Finland has been using its system for much longer and is now second in terms of education after Japan. The Common Core could put America first. f The idea that our students are competing with Finland demonstrates a big difference between American education today and that of twenty years ago, when America was number 1: education back then was very local, while... halfway through the paper ......and how much the country will improve when every student is motivated, as are their parents and teachers. Come on America, let's motivate ourselves. Works Cited 11 Facts About Education in America. November 18, 2013 .Canada, Geoffrey. Should teachers have a desk? Coyle, Daniel. “Avoiding the Help Trap: Why Parents Shouldn't Help Their Children Too Much.” (2013).D'Orio, Wayne. “Finland is number 1.” School magazine 2.Gurian, Anita PhD. "Involved parents: the hidden resource in their children's education". NYU Lagone November 20, 2013.Hirsch, ED “Why I Pro Common Core: Bashing Teachers and the Common Core Are Both Misplaced.” The Huffington Post August 27, 2013. Rosemond, John. “Demanding (bad) teachers produce the most resilient students.” Roanoke Times October 21 2013.