We need better teachers AND a better system AND better parents. We can't just put all of the expectations on the teachers and expect any sort of change. We do need teachers who are willing to be tough (like it sounds like your mother was) yet caring, but that requires a system that rewards teachers not based on seniority but on merit (sorry unions) but also doesn't encourage teachers to artificially raise grades or teach to specific tests. This means we'd have to invest more in evaluating progress in students, instead of just throwing standardized tests at kids. We also need parents who allow teachers to be tough (no complaining because your kid fails!) _and_ who are supportive yet disciplined back on the homefront.