Education Matters US

Letter to the Editor: Public school monopolies
4/28/2006
By Robert and Kimberly Sperlazzo , Carpentersville, IL

Northwest Herald
Most people lack appreciation of free-market principles in education. The public school system is a government monopoly that doesn’t compete fairly, yet avoids all anti-trust lawsuits.

Private and home-schooled students’ families must pay for government overhead, while reaping none of the benefits. We’re funding a bloated bureaucracy instead of funding the students, the true goal of education.

Education tax credits are one solution. The government would not siphon off their huge expenses. More money would directly fund students, allowing many teachers to migrate from government schools.

No teacher should have to leave government schools. But the total number of students wouldn’t change – only where they attend school and create jobs. Thus, teachers could transfer to private schools, teaching those same students while receiving better salaries.

The TV show, 20/20, reported: “American schools don’t teach as well as schools in other countries because they are government monopolies, and monopolies don’t have much incentive to compete. In Belgium … the money is attached to the kids … government funds education – at many different kinds of schools.”

Let’s end government’s stranglehold on education (www.sepschool.org). More money is no answer to substandard schools. We must end our dependency on a failed system where the costs keep rising.