"Brian Denley" wrote

Any idea why US science student lag behind all other modern countries
(except fundamentalists ones of course)?


You sound like a shill for the Public School Teachers Union.

I have a very simple answer for your question and it fundamentally has
nothing to do with the teacher's and its "Socialist" liberal Union. It all
boils down to the parents or rather, parent as in singular.

In the U.S. the growing percentage of disadvantaged students from single
parent households enrolled in public schools is a key problem. As the
teacher spends more and more of his or her time disciplining disruptive
students in class the parents of average and above average students find
their children are not getting the education that their tax dollars are
supposed to deliver. The answer for them is also simple. Move to another,
better school district or enroll in a private school. In most cases private
school is the best choice and the Public school system with their teachers
Liberal/Socialist agenda can "go to hell!"