As Conway's school enrollment shrinks, it becomes increasingly aggravating to realize how phenomenally expensive it is to educate the same number of students as we had in the past. The increase is difficult to illustrate adequately, and school champions habitually defend their money pit by blaming inflation, or regurgitating the vague excuse that "education is different today."

In the public sphere, education certainly is different today, because — after all — it used to be effective. The inflation excuse is almost entirely invalid, however.

(3) comments

MEPD Ret

There you go again, Bill. Using logic, reason, and a huge dose of common sense. All the things that we used to believe were the basic building blocks of a decent public education. So while we're reminiscing about the '60s & '70s, I recall the public education of my youth. Yes, "back in day" a high school diploma actually had some weight and meaning behind it. Today, we are lucky if the average graduate possesses rudimentary reading, writing, math, civics, or history knowledge. Many college freshmen today require remediation in those basics before they can move forward with college-level studies.

You sure are making the case for vouchers and tax breaks for independent education and homeschoolers. Public education is not only failing, it's a huge drain on the public trust, with no return on the investment. I dare say it's become nothing but a self-perpetuating govt jobs program.

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Teachers unions are ruining schools all across America. Poor results but sky high costs. It cannot go on forever.

MEPD Ret

Add to that the influx and overcrowding of non-English speaking students, and the Democrats have created a recipe for the collapse of the public school systems across America. And of course, the additional fiscal burden of all of those extra non-academic social engineering (indoctrination) courses.

Welcome to the discussion.

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