http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States
The US rate of poverty is around 16 %, so the global level should be compared to the countries in the 10-20 % rate to have a meaningful debate. The US had a score of 487. It is significantly less than similar countries you posted.
Obviously, education is linked to poverty in the US, but also in Canada, Japan, or Australia. There are two factors that would be interesting to study though. Comparing with countries with a similar healthcare system (money spent in healthcare is not spent in teaching), and results between schools of similar level of poverty. My bets are that you would find that differences are higher in the US between poor and rich districts than they are in Canada or Japan. I would like to test Texas too as it has a centralized system. Does it make a difference. There are reasons that explain why the US is performing globally less well than comparable countries.
Teachers are not part of them, but the fact that education is managed at the municipal district is obviously part of it.
Note: frankly it would even be better to avoid using PISA as it is a stupid chart. The best proof is that it says China is first when they tested the best school systems in China and not the entirety of China.
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