Time to End Public (Government) Schools
By Ken Falkenstein | Thursday, June 16th, 2011 | Policy
I have a friend who, whenever he makes a boneheaded comment, follows it up by saying, “Don’t blame me – I got a public school education.”
A cheap shot? Well, consider the fact that everyone gets the joke.
And also consider this: If upon making a boneheaded comment he followed it up by saying, “Don’t blame me – I got a private school education,” would anyone get the joke? The answer is no. The reason is simple: The statement is nonsensical – Everyone knows that private schools almost always offer high quality educational services.
And everyone knows that too many of our public schools don’t.
The reason that private schools far outperform public schools is simple and obvious: Private schools compete – and often for profit.
Consider the contrast:
Students who go to private schools do so because their parents got involved in their education, chose a school, and entrusted their money with that particular school with the expectation that that school would earn the money by providing their kids with a quality education. If that private school fails to provide the expected quality service, it loses students and the tuition that is paid for those students – and eventually it goes out of business.
Students who go to public schools do so because of an accident of geography. Their parents did not choose that school for their kids. In fact, in most school systems, parents are prohibited by law from choosing which public school their children attend. Public schools get their students by default and have no meaningful incentive to provide a quality educational service. And if these schools fail to provide a quality educational service, then the kids who attend that school simply don’t get educated. The public schools, as taxpayer-funded government entities, continue in existence providing the same poor services to students year after year into perpetuity.
Do all public schools provide low-quality educational services? Of course not. But those public schools that provide quality educational services do not do so because they are government schools. They do so despite that fact – usually because they are located in a geographical district that includes large numbers of middle- and upper-income families in which the parents take an active role in their kids’ education. How many high-quality public schools are located in our economically-depressed inner cities?
And so, the kids who are most in need of an education that can give them the self-sufficiency that they need to break out of generational cycles of poverty remain trapped in that cycle because our government schools consistently fail them.
Simply put, government-run education is the biggest failed government social program in American history.
Who benefits from this decrepit system? Leftist teachers’ unions and their Democrat Party sponsors. Why? Because, as I have written, leftists will do whatever it takes to increase their own power and to force as many people as possible into their control.
The teachers unions consistently oppose, with all of their considerable resources, every effort to reform the educational system. School choice? Merit pay for teachers? Standards of accountability? All opposed vigorously by the teachers’ unions. Why? Because the teachers’ unions are looking out for the interests of the unions and not the students. Their priority is to increase teacher pay so that the unions can usurp more of that pay in mandatory union dues and then launder that money to the Democrats in state legislatures who vote to perpetuate the system. It is the unholiest of all unholy political alliances in that it sacrifices our kids’ education for the political empowerment of leftists.
And the bonus is that these leftist union teachers get to use their perches in our government school classrooms to spew their leftist propaganda to kids who are required by law to sit in those leftist teachers’ classrooms and thereby train generation after generation of kids to grow up to support their statist political agenda.
Thomas Jefferson, the champion of limited government, was the primary advocate of a public education system. He believed that an educated public was vital to maintaining a free society and a viable representative democracy. However, he would be air-conditioning Monticello from his grave if he saw how leftist teachers’ unions have taken over his beloved public education system and twisted it into a tool to prevent people from gaining the education needed to be self-sufficient and to promote their statist/collectivist political agenda.
So what is the answer? Well, my Bearing Drift colleague Brian Kirwin proposed in the Daily Press this week an “extreme makeover” of public education. I would go further: Instead of a “makeover,” it’s time to start over by scrapping the entire government-run education system and replacing it with a system composed entirely of private educational institutions.
First, it is important to understand that eliminating government-run schools does not mean ending compulsory taxpayer-funded education. To the contrary, I strongly support requiring all kids to receive an education, and I support public financing of education. The one thing I do not support is having government run that system. We’ve given government its chance, and (predictably) it failed miserably.
The answer is to continue to finance the educational system with our means-based tax system and then give every parent a voucher that they can use to send their kids to any school they choose. But unlike the school choice systems that are in place in some communities that give parents their choice of any public school, in the system I propose all schools would be privately run.
Why would eliminating government-run schools in favor of a system of privately owned and operated schools make a difference? Because the private sector always does a superior job to government in identifying and filling public demand. In other words, by leaving it to the private sector, entrepeneurs and philanthropists will be able to establish schools throughout communities that cater to the actual needs of parents and kids in those communities. Schools would be created to provide for the special needs of inner-city and rural students, kids with autism or Down Syndrom, kids whose skills are better suited to vocational or technical work than strict academic work, kids who excel at science or music or writing, kids who don’t learn well through conventional methods but who could excel under other methodologies.
How can we have confidence that such schools will emerge? Because schools will be allowed to operate based on things that incentivize people in the real world – things like a desire to help a particular constituency or – wait for it – profit. Yes, that dirty little word that sends leftists into conniptions is precisely the cure for the educational system that those same leftists have left in shambles.
How do we know that quality schools will be available? Because where there is a demand, the market always provides a supply. In this case, schools will have to provide a quality educational product because parents will refuse to spend their vouchers at substandard schools. Where one school fails, another will appear to compete for those vouchers by offering a superior product. In fact, competition for those valuable vouchers will incentivize schools to take creative approaches to educating kids that will go beyond our wildest imagination in our current stagnant and failing government-run educational system.
It is time for us to decide whether we care more about educating our kids than continuing to sacrifice them for the benefit of the teachers’ unions and their leftist agenda. The future of our country may well depend on it.
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About the author
Ken Falkenstein has been a staffer in the United States Senate and the Virginia House of Delegates. He has managed political campaigns. He was a military intelligence analyst in the U.S. Army in West Germany during the Cold War. He is currently the Vice President of the Down Syndrome Association of Hampton Roads and practices as a civil litigation attorney with the law firm of Poole Mahoney PC in Virginia Beach. His concern for his kids' future is what most informs his writing.
Comments
20 Responses to "Time to End Public (Government) Schools"
I am so old that I remember when the public education system was a success.
Perhaps a start would be to get the federal government out of education.
I am with you, but how do you get there when so many parents don’t care enough about this subject? They don’t want to have to choose and they are just fine keeping their children in government schools, because it reduces the burden on them.
Mentioning education, I don’t understand the phrase “air- conditioning Monticello from his grave.” I am not sure if I can blame government schools for that one.
I’ve always loved the “If You Can Read This, Thank a Teacher” nonsense. My parents taught me to read, thanks. Before I had ever even so much as been inside a school. Same with math. About the only thing I ever learned in school was some German, but I hear there are these language tapes that don’t cost $3600/yr.
At least your’re being honest about this. I can respect that.
However I think if more Republican polticians were as open as this about wanting to destroy public education, which many do, there would be fewer elected Republicans.
You do realize that if we followed your plan, we’d end up destroying the education quality of private schools that you tout, right?
Part of the private school’s advantage, a large part, is that they get to pick and choose who they will teach, unlike the public schools which are tasked with educating whoever shows up.
Just to play devil’s advocate: won’t many of the teachers that you say are part of the problem with public schools most likely end up teaching in the new private schools that will have to be established to accommodate the nation’s students?
I don’t disagree that the NEA and “Education, Inc.” often stifle innovation in the classroom, but they are not the only impediments. Add to that list an idolization of sports that means some lousy teachers are hired simply because they can coach (I have firsthand experience with that!) and both NCLB and the SOL requirements that result in teachers teaching students how to regurgitate information for a standardized test rather than how to analyze information and think critically. There’s a lot of blame to go around. I’m not sure if eliminating public schools is the answer, but regardless, wholesale education reform is long overdue.
*In that last sentence, I meant “that,” not “if”.
@Jerry- What I meant by “air-conditioning Monticello from his grave” was that he would be turning in his grave so forcefully that he could air-condition his nearby house. Guess I was trying too hard to be clever.
@Steve- To be clear, I favor ending public schools, not public education (defined as compulsory taxpayer-funded education). And under my plan, schools could still set standards for admission so that some schools cater to naturally good students while other schools will provide educational programs catered to students who struggle and need a different kind of attention and approach.
@Jason- The difference would be that these private schools could set their own standards (with a minimum standards set by an elected school board). In order to survive and be competitive, these private schools would have to set standards that are considerably higher than those of the current public schools. Those current public school teachers who could meet those higher standards would be able to continue to teach, and should be allowed to do so. One other thing I would do that I forgot to mention in my article is to prohibit teachers from joining unions, just like nurses, doctors and lawyers are already prohibited from doing. teachers could still participate in the political process through associations, but not through unions with compulsory membership and dues.
The real question is whether you’re for education, or for control? Those who insist on government schools are for control. Vouchers/tax credits would provide for education, but would deny government control.
I was always quite interested in the fact that the tuition at my sons’ private school — for both — was less than the per-pupil expenditure in the Prince William County government schools. Arguably, TWO students received a BETTER education for less than the government schools spent to educate ONE student.
Opposition to school choice is not about economics, and it’s not about education. It’s about CONTROL, pure and simple.
of course, this requires a change in the Virginia Constitution.
Who’s going to carry your bill, Ken?
I was thinking Sen. Norment.
Ken,
That would interesting if he would do so. Quoting from this website:
http://www.senatornorment.com/
“As a graduate of public schools and the father of a teacher, Tommy has worked to improve funding for K-12 education and to boost teacher salaries.”
Perhaps you need to pick someone else.
LD- Was a (not so) inside joke. That said, I never claimed to represent the “Republican” position on education. The views expressed are my own.
Christie pounds home the message I want to hear. http://hotair.com/archives/2011/06/17/voter-to-chris-christie-do-your-kids-go-to-public-school-christie-to-voter-none-of-your-business/
Guts, he’s got em.
“And under my plan, schools could still set standards for admission so that some schools cater to naturally good students while other schools will provide educational programs catered to students who struggle and need a different kind of attention and approach”
So we’d still have two systems of education segregated by ecnomics, except now we’d all be paying for the exclusive private school too..instead of just the folks who are using it paying for it. And this is good for the average person, why?
@James- I love that guy.
@Steve- No, we would have a broad-spectrum system of education with schools catered to meet all of the different kinds of needs that kids have, whether socio-economic, congenital, psychological, or whatever. Since you obviously disagree with my approach, please make the case for staying with the existing government-run school system.
Ken, I believe you’re addressing the symptoms instead of the cause. You can’t fix schools until you fix students & families and you can’t fix students & families until we can have a frank and honest dialogue about the impact of poverty, single moms, absent fathers, race, and the overall dumbing-down trend in America.
As a public school grad (and with grown kids that attended both public and private schools), I agree with Steve Vaughn 100% … and take it even further. Private schools not only begin w/ entrance exams, they rigorously enforce academic standards & codes of conduct. Can’t make the grades – you’re gone. Disruptive in class – you’re gone. Get popped for drugs or underage drinking (on or off campus) – you’re gone.
“The reason that private schools far outperform public schools is simple and obvious:” Private schools hand select their student population. It’s not profit that makes a difference; it’s the GIGO principle.
IMO, teachers haven’t changed in the last 30 years, but parents, students, and school policy (some mandated at the federal level but MOST determined by your local school board) took a nosedive south about 25 years ago. Visit any ‘failing’ school district and you will find thriving private and church schools as those that can, leave. Those that can’t are stuck in a system that spends most of its budget on remedial, rather than college-prep, education.
Look in the mirror for the other cause. As a society, we don’t value education and learning as did previous generations. IF we did, we would have fought the cuts to PBS … and Swamp People and Housewives wouldn’t be cable hits. We’re in the information age, with access to almost every library in the world ~yet dumb as a post, as a nation.
“…by leaving it to the private sector, entrepeneurs and philanthropists will be able to establish schools throughout communities that cater to the actual needs of parents and kids in those communities.”
You know, of course, that the republicans can excommunicate you for even thinking that?
I think this plan is a step in the right direction. Public education introduces too many stresses merely by reducing choice. We take your money, and then you take what we give you and like it, or tough beans.
Sex education in school? Send your kids to a school that handles this the way you like. Prayer in school? Ditto. Students standing guard over the trash cans in the lunchroom to make sure you recycle plastic bottles and don’t trash them (really happens, BTW)? Your choice, for your own child. Imagine how radical! See how everyone can get what they want in a private sector system?
Everyone actually uses their own money to actually get what they want. No one hates their kids schools’ policies or practices because they got to choose the school. Damned radicals.
Could you provide a list of for profit schools that operate in Virginia?
Students who go to private schools do so because their parents believe their kids are better suited to that schools and can afford to send their children to those schools. There are many kids who pay to go to public school in districts in which they do not live.
But maybe you’re right, we could hire the former CEOs of fine private companies like Enron, AIG, GM, Chrysler, Value America, and Lehman Brothers to build a publicly financed private education system for us.
This is yet another terrible idea from the right.
P.S. – Try not to use so much hate in your post.
“…please make the case for staying with the existing government-run school system.”
For now there is no other viable option. Sorry but Ken is right – for now and for educating the masses public education is the best and fairest option.
There ARE many good public schools in Virginia. Often that is matter of demographics but sometimes not.
“We take your money, and then you take what we give you and like it, or tough beans.
Sex education in school?”
Which you, as an active parent, I’m sure know can opt OUT of.
“Prayer in school?”
Which is fully allowed and protected as I am sure you again know, Mr. Active Parent.
“Students standing guard over the trash cans in the lunchroom to make sure you recycle plastic bottles and don’t trash them (really happens, BTW)?”
No probem with this (especially since I doubt your characterization) – are you arguing for the “right” to throw recyclables in a landfill? Is that in the Constitution?
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