Public schools have long been a favorite example of  those who exhort us to "invest"  for the common good. "Invest" is a euphemism for "spend". "It's in the public interest", they assure us. It's for the kids!

The United States is a big-time spender on education. Total expenditures for public elementary and secondary education alone are approaching $336 billion for 2000-01 (National Center for Education Statistics ). Education has become the largest single spending category in all the states (National Conference of State Legislatures 1996). 

Nationally between 1960 and 2000: 

• Elementary and Secondary expenditures (in dollars adjusted for inflation) rose from $75b in 1960 to $330b in 2000.

• Per pupil expenditures (in dollars adjusted for inflation) trippled to over $8000.

• Student/teacher ratio dropped steadily from about 25 to 15.

What does this investment buy us? Nothing. Achievement trends 1966 - 2000 :

• Verbal scholastic scores dropped from 543 to 506.

• Math scholastic scores remained about the same 516 to 514.

 (National Center for Education Statistics 2000)

And how does the U.S. compare internationally?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, "The evidence suggests, in general, that students from the United States have fared quite poorly on these assessments, with their scores lagging behind those of students from other developed countries."

If you what to know how far behind  go to http://www.timss.org/TIMSS1/Highlights.html  

So, if the kids don't benefit, how can this massive, ever growing "investment"  be so confidently declared  a "common good"? 

If the kids don't benefit from all those regulations and all that tax and spend, just whose common good is the money for?  

How can the pervasive notion that the government works for us because the government is by, for, and of the people explain these schools? Do "we the people" want the expensive under-performing schools we are forced to send so many of our children to? If not, why do they exist? And who do they really exist for?

Does it have to be this way? Must there be a government run school monopoly? Should there be a government monopoly? Can there be schools without government agencies operating them?  

"Since the average annual spending per pupil in public schools is nearly $10,000, and the average spending per pupil in Catholic schools is approximately $3,200, taxpayers would see immediate tax relief."

http://www.nyscatholicconference.org/other/schoolchoice.htm

If Catholics can do it, can't others do it too? Remember, some of the best schools in the country operate with no government controls. How can this be?  Don't forget, some of the worst schools in the country operate under complete government control. How can that be?