Federal standardization of K-12 education system is more beneficial than privatization/voucher

Pro's position, as stated by Pro, is that federally standardized funding will yield better education outcome than will privatization or a voucher system. Pro then cites PISA results that show the USA being below par when compared to other countries. Pro then posits the solution to be standard funding and standard objectives, Allow us to look at funding. I would agree with Pro if the facts showed education to be under funded in the US. However the facts show that the US funds the educational system at a level far in excess of most other countries. According to a report from the University of Southern California, the USA spends five times more on education than does the next highest country, [8] . On a per capita basis, we are spending more than $2,000 more per student than does the next highest country [9]. While the US spent about $8,000 per student ( in 2009 ) we were bested in math by Russia ($1,850 per student) and by Japan in science ( $3,756 per student). [10],[11]. From Bloomberg Businessweek....."The [PISA] tests also confirm that throwing money at the problem isn"t the solution. The U.S. spends more money per capita"when federal, state and local funding are added up"than most other countries. That doesn"t translate into better performance." [1] Additionally Pro admits that uniform funding will lower funding in some schools and send those funds elsewhere to bring equity to lower funded schools. While that may reduce the RELATIVE gap between high and low funding, it does not address the ABSOLUTE goal of raising educational outcome. Transferring funds from highly funded systems , which Pro has already cited as better performing systems. would by Pro's measure send these systems toward the average ( average funding equals average performance). This is what Con means by a race to mediocrity. Would privatization and / or vouchers do better? The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that for 4th grade students "The average private school mean reading score was 14.7 points higher than the average public school mean reading score" [2] "The average private school mean mathematics score was 7.8 points higher than the average public school mean mathematics score [3] For 8th grade students "The average private school mean reading score was 18.1 points higher than the average public school mean reading score," [4] . "The average private school mean mathematics score was 12.3 points higher than the average public school mean mathematics score" [5] Private schools have smaller student to teacher ratios. From the National Center for Education Statistics ...."As reported by teachers in 2007"08, among public school teachers of self-contained classes in elementary schools, the average class size was 20.3 students per class. Among private school teachers of self-contained classes in elementary schools, the average class size was 18.1 students per class." [6] So privatization may lead to higher performance. Additionally a system needs focus, which public schools have lost. The emphasis on education caused by Sputnik was short lived. From NPR...." But that burst of enthusiasm was overtaken by new demands. Educators became preoccupied with the effort to expand access to education during the civil rights era. More recently, the No Child Left Behind Act has focused on reading and basic math, not on science. Many educators feel that the U.S. is again losing its science lead to countries like Korea and Italy, where more advanced degrees are awarded. Stanford's Atkins says that science education needs a slow, steady approach rather than another short-lived boomlet. [7] "At a hearing early this year, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) said that the way forward lies in the past. "We did it after the Sputnik launch, when we trained a new generation of Americans in math and science. And we inspired millions more to greater and greater innovation when President Kennedy challenged us to send a man to the moon," Kennedy said." [7] And further , states Jean McLaughlin, president of Barry University "The public schools lack focus; instead of concentrating on education, they dabble in social re-engineering". That assessment was confirmed by the superintendent of the country's fourth largest school district in Miami-Dade, Florida who said "Half our job is education, and the other half is social work".[12] Is the solution something that will come from a central planning form of federal intrusion? "The federal government has conspired with Big Education to cram a totally untested set of mandates down the throats of teachers and parents. Common Core, which morphs into other names as opposition rises, seeks to impose a "one size fits all" nationwide disaster. Book publishers and testing companies developed a slick marketing campaign to sell the scheme, and sell billions of dollars of totally revised books and tests. Contents of the dumbed-down curriculum horrify those who have actually studied the changes in detail. Question: When you are dead last, why not FOLLOW what is working in 8 Pacific Rim countries who consistently score at the top, instead of trusting Washington, DC to divine where the untested bleeding edge of education ought to be? " [13] Thus it is shown that equality of funding, while it might be popular, will NOT fix the educational system. Further Con has shown that equalizing the funding will produce a "race toward mediocrity" . Con has also shown that the idea of "throwing money at a problem" is outdated and outmoded. Con has shown that the educational system is failing not for not lack of "equality" or "funding" but rather from a lack of purpose. And finally Con has demonstrated that a system of competition such as privatization or vouchers will produce an improvement in educational achievement. [1] http://www.businessweek.com... [2] http://ces.ed.gov... [3] http://ces.ed.gov... [4] http://ces.ed.gov... [5] http://ces.ed.gov... [6] http://nces.ed.gov... [7]http://www.npr.org... [8] http://rossieronline.usc.edu... [9]http://rossieronline.usc.edu... [10]http://rossieronline.usc.edu... [11]http://rossieronline.usc.edu... [12] http://4brevard.com... [13] http://4brevard.com... GOTO round 4