Educational Choice
J. Michael Smith has a great op-ed in the Washington Times.
Most people agree that we live in a country that is based on a free-market economy. Despite some imperfections, America has grown wealthy largely because of this system.
The system works best when new ideas are allowed to compete freely in the marketplace. Old, outdated and unresponsive systems act as a drag on the economy because over the long term, they need to be heavily subsidized once they become uncompetitive.
How much money would the country waste if it were decided to prop up every firm in America that loses money or does not perform a useful function? We soon would be bankrupt.
Regrettably, in one of the most important areas of society — education — competition is being stifled, and an outdated system is being maintained with vast sums of taxpayers’ funds. The average public school spends $7,000 per year per child just in operating expenses. Once the buildings are included, the true cost is much higher.
