Agree. And sadly one of the things they stopped teaching was basic economics (not Econ 101) and personal finance. Used to be required to graduate high school. So did Civics, another missing class. This was a basic set of knowledge so kids understood what it meant to become an adult. Those classes are gone and you see what we got. I have always believed the three things that make a community are teachers, firefighters and police. Knowledge and safety.
I am with you in philosophy and spirit, with one slight exception: "And the interesting thing about education is that it is a problem that you can literally just throw money at and it gets better." California's public education system disproves this daily.
Education is obviously the missing ingredient to success.
Your post is right on, yet you leave out the details of how to fix this without taxing everyone rich and poor in an ever increasing race for more tax.
In Texas, we have the "Robin Hood System" taking from Rich districts and giving to the poor districts. It has some impact, however you need to drive around the state and see the amount of $$$$ that has been pored into facilities and athletic facilities with the "extra money."
Meanwhile, the Rich districts have found alternative ways to create additional revenue
IMO the question that has to be solved is how to increase teacher pay while reducing the administrative cost within each school. Chrys Dougherty wrote and incredible study and gave ideas yet none of these have been enacted. Waste is rampant
Until we get to an agreement on how to limit the spending on administration to a level per student that is the same across the state or country, which implies we have to have "union" participation then your thesis is wonderful, but impractical.
You can't be apart of the right wing conspiracy and also disagree with J.D. Vance "a lot."
Regarding class, I keep referring people to an excellent NYT video on Youtube titled "Liberal Hypocrisy is Fueling American Inequality. Here’s How. | NYT Opinion". That video points out that schools are funded based on zip code so I think problems along SC's “Corridor of Shame” are exaggerated and don't spread across the entire 200 miles right and left of I-95. School are usually run at the county level and within each county there are rich and poor zip codes so schools in adjacent zip codes and in the same county can be very different. SC leaders skew right, but Republicans aren't the ones preaching equality so that's what makes the video so interesting. It kind of hits at what Tucker always says, "when elites are accusing you of something, it is often what they are actually doing."
Homeschooling is just a byproduct of families that purposely put their children above money. Single income families feel it is in their children's best interest to have a parent at home and homeschooling is just an extension of that. It isn't entirely about money or what schools are teaching. Single income families value close personal interaction with their children above all else. Schools in lightly populated areas aren't anywhere near as toxic as the ones that make news headlines. It seems you see a lot through a lens that has piles of money in the way.
Stronger and closer families will fix education and inequality, not money.
Great write up Jared. I share many of your libertarian leanings and also agree that public education is an equalizer and one of the greatest inventions of our society. I have long wondered what a significant increase in pay and a reduction in retiree medical and pension benefits would do for attracting better teachers. My hypothesis is it would be very successful as the average 21 yo has no clue what the present value of those benefits are, but 60k sounds a lot better than 29k out of college!
I have volunteered for a number of years in a reading program, in a poorer school district, for kids struggling with reading. There is more to fix than just the school part of education for these kids to be ready to pay attention to learning. They can't concentrate if they are hungry and/or their snack/lunch is Skittles...or they are exhausted &/or sick because there was a house party going on...or they had to go to their aunts because of domestic issues or they can't find their glasses or their is no one to listen to them practice reading because their mother/grandmother/aunt is exhausted and trying to get to her next job. On & on & on
Another great article, Jared. And I'm of similar mind on many things; I think our obsession with equality is more destructive than is generally acknowledged. And I agree that education is a huge social equalizer; I'm originally from Canada, and many of the same arguments carry over. Where we disagree is on whether or not the public school system is even reformable. I live in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, and I'm married to a public school teacher. Thanks to Covid and work-from-home, I've overheard many of her meetings with school and district administration. Virtually the *only* things they stress in the classroom are hard-left Social Justice issues. Honkies are told to "acknowledge their privilege and wait their turn" in meetings and can only speak after "BiPOC" teachers are finished. The term "struggle session" is not just an idle snark remark. Absolutely no effort or time is spent on things like improving educational quality, unless it's viewed through the prism of Racial Equality, and then the focus is on making tests more "inclusive" and to reconsider whether scores and grades are "equitable". Pouring more money into this system is just going to make things worse. I'm not saying homeschooling is the answer; I wish we could come up with a more creative answer, like massive decentralization (on a neighborhood scale) of curriculums and standards. The current system isn't just broken, it's obsolete.
As a Scandinavian where education is close to for free I agree. But the quality of teachers and what they tell is far below par except for Finland where realism and good teaching prevails.
Agree. And sadly one of the things they stopped teaching was basic economics (not Econ 101) and personal finance. Used to be required to graduate high school. So did Civics, another missing class. This was a basic set of knowledge so kids understood what it meant to become an adult. Those classes are gone and you see what we got. I have always believed the three things that make a community are teachers, firefighters and police. Knowledge and safety.
I am with you in philosophy and spirit, with one slight exception: "And the interesting thing about education is that it is a problem that you can literally just throw money at and it gets better." California's public education system disproves this daily.
Jared,
Education is obviously the missing ingredient to success.
Your post is right on, yet you leave out the details of how to fix this without taxing everyone rich and poor in an ever increasing race for more tax.
In Texas, we have the "Robin Hood System" taking from Rich districts and giving to the poor districts. It has some impact, however you need to drive around the state and see the amount of $$$$ that has been pored into facilities and athletic facilities with the "extra money."
Meanwhile, the Rich districts have found alternative ways to create additional revenue
https://www.edweek.org/education-industry/from-walls-to-roofs-schools-sell-ad-space/1997/06
IMO the question that has to be solved is how to increase teacher pay while reducing the administrative cost within each school. Chrys Dougherty wrote and incredible study and gave ideas yet none of these have been enacted. Waste is rampant
https://nces.ed.gov/pubs/web/96344dou.asp
Until we get to an agreement on how to limit the spending on administration to a level per student that is the same across the state or country, which implies we have to have "union" participation then your thesis is wonderful, but impractical.
BTW, Walmart is a great place to shop
Michael Tannery
Interesting perspective. There is a charity in NYC, SEO sponsors for educational opportunity, that tackles the random luck of the school draw.
Core mission is to narrow the achievement gap. https://www.seo-usa.org/
High school students that are accepted attend school on Saturday, and during the summer months.
Focus is English math etc
Kids are then partnered with a mentor in junior year to help with preparing for college standardized tests life skills etc.
During college the charity helps with internships and thereafter job placement. Really great cause that I’ve supported with time and money
You can't be apart of the right wing conspiracy and also disagree with J.D. Vance "a lot."
Regarding class, I keep referring people to an excellent NYT video on Youtube titled "Liberal Hypocrisy is Fueling American Inequality. Here’s How. | NYT Opinion". That video points out that schools are funded based on zip code so I think problems along SC's “Corridor of Shame” are exaggerated and don't spread across the entire 200 miles right and left of I-95. School are usually run at the county level and within each county there are rich and poor zip codes so schools in adjacent zip codes and in the same county can be very different. SC leaders skew right, but Republicans aren't the ones preaching equality so that's what makes the video so interesting. It kind of hits at what Tucker always says, "when elites are accusing you of something, it is often what they are actually doing."
Homeschooling is just a byproduct of families that purposely put their children above money. Single income families feel it is in their children's best interest to have a parent at home and homeschooling is just an extension of that. It isn't entirely about money or what schools are teaching. Single income families value close personal interaction with their children above all else. Schools in lightly populated areas aren't anywhere near as toxic as the ones that make news headlines. It seems you see a lot through a lens that has piles of money in the way.
Stronger and closer families will fix education and inequality, not money.
really good one Jared!
Great write up Jared. I share many of your libertarian leanings and also agree that public education is an equalizer and one of the greatest inventions of our society. I have long wondered what a significant increase in pay and a reduction in retiree medical and pension benefits would do for attracting better teachers. My hypothesis is it would be very successful as the average 21 yo has no clue what the present value of those benefits are, but 60k sounds a lot better than 29k out of college!
I have volunteered for a number of years in a reading program, in a poorer school district, for kids struggling with reading. There is more to fix than just the school part of education for these kids to be ready to pay attention to learning. They can't concentrate if they are hungry and/or their snack/lunch is Skittles...or they are exhausted &/or sick because there was a house party going on...or they had to go to their aunts because of domestic issues or they can't find their glasses or their is no one to listen to them practice reading because their mother/grandmother/aunt is exhausted and trying to get to her next job. On & on & on
Another great article, Jared. And I'm of similar mind on many things; I think our obsession with equality is more destructive than is generally acknowledged. And I agree that education is a huge social equalizer; I'm originally from Canada, and many of the same arguments carry over. Where we disagree is on whether or not the public school system is even reformable. I live in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, and I'm married to a public school teacher. Thanks to Covid and work-from-home, I've overheard many of her meetings with school and district administration. Virtually the *only* things they stress in the classroom are hard-left Social Justice issues. Honkies are told to "acknowledge their privilege and wait their turn" in meetings and can only speak after "BiPOC" teachers are finished. The term "struggle session" is not just an idle snark remark. Absolutely no effort or time is spent on things like improving educational quality, unless it's viewed through the prism of Racial Equality, and then the focus is on making tests more "inclusive" and to reconsider whether scores and grades are "equitable". Pouring more money into this system is just going to make things worse. I'm not saying homeschooling is the answer; I wish we could come up with a more creative answer, like massive decentralization (on a neighborhood scale) of curriculums and standards. The current system isn't just broken, it's obsolete.
As a Scandinavian where education is close to for free I agree. But the quality of teachers and what they tell is far below par except for Finland where realism and good teaching prevails.
Thanks Jared. I hate wasting time reading anything that doesn’t add value to my day. You add value.