The Industrial Education Association vs Real Reform

How is it we are free to chose such little things as what our cats name will be or what color our new car will be, but we don't find it the least bit strange we have almost no choice when it comes to something that really should matter? This does assume you consider the education of children to be of some significance. Education has come to occupy the same hallowed ground as motherhood, puppies, and apple pie. A closer look at where the education dollars really go exposes a business where a child's education is second to protecting the interests of the Education Industry.

What would it take to get beyond lip service and achieve real education reform? How about a combination of true local control coupled with free market capitalism? Here's what Real Education Reform would look like.

• State of Idaho completely takes over the financing of education. "X" number of dollars are allocated per school age child, dollar amount is the same regardless of whether it's Bear Lake or Sandpoint. Allow more dollars for special needs children.
• Parents of school age children can use these education dollars in whatever form they chose, home schooling, public school, private schools, internet schools, etc.. No one takes a more personal interest in a child's future than a parent does. Naturally would need to watch a bit so we don't have meth addicts using their home schooled child's education dollars to stay blitzed.
• Public school boards are composed only of people who have children attending that school. How the education dollars are spent is entirely at the discretion of the board. So long as that school is able to attract enough education dollars to remain open it must be meeting parental expectations. If a $120,000 superintendent and a $75,000 associate superintendent makes financial sense to the school board, and this school can attract the education dollars to remain open, who are we to question the wisdom of parents?

A funny thing happens when you give people control of money, or hold them accountable for the use of money. For starters these people tend to become quite stingy with this money, and secondly they demand something of value for their money. If Real Education Reform was implemented is it realistic to expect the bureaucracy of Industrial Education to survive the scrutiny of parents? Just as a well run business will tend to prosper, I would suspect schools meeting or exceeding the expectations of their customers (parents) would have an equally bright future. How nice it would be to make a choice that mattered.