The economic problems of the US cannot be solved without solving the education problem. That problem will not be solved with government running the schools. Sheldon Richman points out:
As education historian E. G. West noted, it did not take laws to achieve virtually universal education in the nineteenth century (among the free population). But it did take laws to give us schools that function like indoctrination centers, preaching the glory of government while preparing children to be quiescent taxpaying citizens who will take their place in industry, the bureaucracy, or the military.
It should be noted that America’s greatest economic advancement came prior to government meddling and finally suffocating education. Mr. Richman proposes what most would consider a radical solution — privatize the schools completely, repeal taxpayer financing and compulsory education. Outrageous some must be thinking. What about the poor? To that question, Richman responds:
The irony is that poor children in this society have been treated disgracefully by government school authorities. It is sheer chutzpah for advocates of “public education” to say they worry about the poor after having inflicted and/or tolerated such abuse for so long. The poor would stand a much better chance in a freed education environment. If some of the most destitute places on earth manage to have private for-profit schools for poor children, then so can the United States, especially if the shackles were removed. Of course, there would be far fewer poor people in a freed society.
By now, many reading this post are probably seething. Yet, it is impossible to defend government-run schools on any performance metrics. We consistently lose ground to other nations in terms of the rankings of our graduates. Although I have not seen the statistics, I suspect the same is true of our drop-out ratio. We have managed to graduate too many morons who believe they were educated. In fact, most are too stupid to understand how dumb they really are. Many have gone on to obtain advanced degrees, reinforcing their incorrect self image and importance. Mr. Richman suggests a simple transition to privatizing schools:
I’ve long thought the best way would be simply to turn each school over to the people who work in it. Let them run the schools and compete independently of government without tax revenues. An alternative would be to turn the schools over to the parents if they want them. Just get them away from the bureaucracy.
Changes like these are unthinkable to most people. Would they work? Of course. Schools, like everything else that government runs, (think Post Office, Social Security, Healthcare, Amtrack, etc.) is quickly ruined by government.
Some “soft” libertarians agree with privatizing schools but not privatizing the funding. They believe that society should fund some minimum level of schooling. That would be an improvement over our current system, but only of degree. Government would still control education if they disbursed funds. Government’s tentacles would eventually strangle innovation and success. That is why Mr. Richman proposes going all the way.
I wrote the comment below the dashed line in February elsewhere, but the above “Sick Schools” article changed my mind about funding. Ideally, school taxes should not be remitted to the government at any level to avoid bureaucratic costs and political trickery. Instead, parents should keep the money and disburse it to the private school of their choice. Yes, some parents will spend it on other things instead of budgeting for their child’s school. There would need to be some kind of transition period and plan for the termination of public schools and the start up phase for private schools.
What to do about indigent students and students of imprudent parents? In the 1940s I was educated in Catholic elementary schools which were financed by the general collections at Masses and by the teaching services of many nuns. The nuns are gone mostly. Perhaps a portion of collections by any religious denomination could supplement the funding for whatever private school that denomination chooses to sponsor partially or fully. With the increased funding from no school taxes, MAYBE private secular and religious schools would have an excess of revenues over expenses to accept some needy students. At some point, the schools would need to do a means test for needy students to prevent exploitation of the schools’ generosity. I do not know the exact provisions needed to do a 100% switch to private schools, but I hope the revenue stream that funds the private schools is sufficient to attract teachers who majored in the subject they teach at a college that is NOT a school of education. The revenues must be sufficient to provide for benefits and retirements that are normal for other sectors of private for profit organizations. Obstructive requirements to become a teacher should be repealed; they are just union gatekeepers.
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House Republicans should pass a resolution that urges states, especially states with Republican governors, to end the public school system and replace it with private school vouchers funded by current school taxes. States should limit cities to governmental departments that are essential, such as police, fire, water, streets, and a very few other essential services; public schools should not be one of them.
Government control of the monopolistic public schools systems enables the government to brainwash students with the government party line which opposes Judeo-Christian values, U.S. political, economic and cultural history, the U.S. Constitution, and the idea that our individual rights come from God–not from the state.
I am persuaded that the leftists who control the schools of education and public schools work to make our students, and thus our citizenry, ignorant and incompetent. Why? Ignorant and incompetent citizens can be duped easily.
It will take generations for the permanent underclass created by Liberals and Progressives to be educated about the truth that there is no free lunch, because socialism works until there is no one left with money to confiscate for redistribution.
The victims in the underclass need to learn that they have been duped by the Liberals and Progressives. The public school system monopoly must be replaced by private schools that teach truth, goodness, beauty, virtue, wisdom, love of God, and love of neighbor. Starve the public schools of school taxes that should fund the private schools.
When the current thugs who rule the Senate and the Executive Branch are replaced by Conservatives and Republicans, then a law should be passed that grants the states the CHOICE to do all of the above. I say choice, because we must limit the Federal Government to the powers stated in the U.S. Constitution.
Do the above, and America will become once again a nation under God.