Appropriate goals, relating strictly to academic as opposed to social goals, individualized lessons, and achievement-based placement are more likely to have the desired result. Students learning karate must possess a great deal of discipline to achieve progress, but it is rare that their instructor spends an entire class period disciplining students. No, but we would take our karate-lesson dollars elsewhere. The amount of money is not the issue. The market process by which consumers get what they pay for and pay for what they want is a significant missing ingredient in public schooling.
Many children fail to achieve minimal literacy in public schools.
Many others drop out. Still others leave believing there is something wrong with them that they could not meet the goals set forth by the system. More tax dollars do not produce the goal of better education, nor do more tax dollars make children all alike. Available from the Hoover Press is Education in a Free Society , edited by Tibor Machan. Also available is Private Vouchers, edited by Terry M. Moe.