After decades of effort, the United States has achieved three major successes in improving its existing public education system: First, the "No Child Left Behind" Act has enabled the government to track the performance of every student to identify which schools have effective teaching methods; second, a large number of public schools, including public charter schools, have undergone fundamental changes and achieved great success, with these schools placing greater emphasis on selecting excellent teachers, extending instructional time, and raising educational standards; third, the Democratic President in Washington has courageously addressed one of the party’s most dysfunctional long-standing relationships—the teachers' union coalition.
President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan allocated $4.35 billion (29.3 billion RMB) in stimulus funds, compelling state legislatures to rationalize and adjust their educational systems, effectively making the White House the largest donor in the field of education overnight. The "Race to the Top" program sparked an educational competition among districts to host more public charter schools, evaluate teachers based on student performance, and more effectively train teachers while dismissing those who are underperforming. The United States is witnessing the beginning of what can be called a common-sense revolution; although many American children have yet to benefit from this transformation, its impact cannot be ignored.