The softening of America and the ease of living have done a lot to the decrease of taking things seriously. Shortened school hours, the pushing of sports, lack of discipline at home, electronic gadgets and yes, computers have taken their toll. Most of the foreign schools that beat the American schools are simple buildings with simple rooms without a lot of distractions and dress codes. It's nice to think you have all of the freedoms and can do what you want but it comes with the price of lack of discipline and paying attention. Life got to easy. Most of the people graduating from high school today couldn't  pass the 8th grade graduation exam of 1920. There are good teachers now as have always been, teachers genuinely wanting to help students but they are not the problems, it's the people in the upper part of the system that think they are the ones that know what's best and keep changing things to meet their likes like legislators gone bad. Go back and teach basics like they used to.