GOVERNMENT RUN SCHOOLS

You cannot base any system on the force, violence, and immorality of government theft and expect good outcomes. Mandatory attendance only worsens the likely outcome.

I’ll keep it simple:

Government schools – funded through theft from all of society while only a segment of society benefits. Politicians make the decisions, special interest groups hold all the power, and because the real consumers are disconnected from the decision making process (where they go to school and who gets their money), they always lose.

Vouchers – still funded through theft. Because they are seen as “government” money, the usual suspects will make sure (eventually), that THEY have control over how these monies are spent. Money from the government NEVER comes without strings. Any private school that takes voucher money will eventually be controlled by the same criminals that run the government schools. Schools that wish to remain “exclusive” will simply not take voucher money, or will raise their costs to stay “out of reach.” One might consider them a “transition” mechanism to begin dismantling, but once they become addicted to the drug of taxpayer money, they will never become fully independent, and parents will never want off the drug either….regardless of how lousy these “private” schools end up becoming. This will also be treated as a failure of the “free market.”

Charters – still funded through theft. They begin by being controlled by the government, with massive restrictions, regulations, etc. Everything they do is subject to the whims of the power brokers. Yes, there have been successes, but they are NOT a transition mechanism either. They are truly NOT competition that “improves” the government schools, because if they ever become too successful, the government simply steps in and squashes everything good about them. Just look at what they are doing to the few good schools in NYC all because mostly whites and asians do well on the entrance exams.

ONLY a fully competitive, free market in schools can ever hope to address the needs of society and of the customers its serves. That free market would include private, home, co-op, neighborhood, CHARITY, business-funded, church-funded, online, un(schooling), and whatever creative options might be dreamed up by all the wonderful teachers who would now be free to show us all how much better they could do. There would be scholarships donated by all the millions of people whose only response to any suggestions of freedom is “but what about the poor kids?” along with lots of other folks who would want to finally see their education dollars go to schools that are actually doing a good job of educating kids.

Best of all, crappy schools would go out of business, fraudulent schools would be sued for their actions, and innovation would be rewarded by the marketplace rather than destroyed by the forces of government evil. Even better, parents would finally be able to take their money and walk (in most cases), thus incentivizing every school to do the best job it could.

And as full disclosure, I once helped get a voucher initiative on the ballot in California. I too once thought that they were a way to undermine the current system while bringing about change. Then I realized that any solution that leaves the government with any power, is ultimately going to be undone eventually by the beast.

The government screws everything up. I thank God this guy only lost a rental not his residence.