Parents stopped being parents about fourty years ago. They give birth to children, send em away at six weeks to daycare, and leave all social development, learning skills, and emotional development to the schools(state). This is a terrible thing to do and down deep the public knows it. So do the teachers unions.
In order to absolve ourselves of this guilt from human abandonment we just do what all Americans do when we feel bad about something. We throw money at it to feel better. When we keep getting the bad news that it's not better yet, we throw more money at it. It's big business and a growth industry in not getting any better.
The school systems have a disincentive to actually improve our childrens education. It's a tight line to walk. It's a fine art creating an industry image like education when the real force behind the issue is money and power. The public education system is the place where Carney's flourish. "The art of separating an individual from his money through emotion"