This seems to be a reoccurring story – science and engineering education as a lacking component in the U.S. innovation ecosystem.  This is not a universal failure.  There are outstanding school systems and STEM programs in this country, but I would argue that educational consistency and student motivation are significant factors in the decline this article discusses.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-22/south-korea-tops-global-innovation-ranking-again-as-u-s-falls