For those who care about empirical data, the evidence is overwhelming that you do not get better educational outcomes by dumping more taxpayer dollars into government schools.
All of which is captured in this iconic chart.
But plenty of politicians think throwing more money at a problem will yield positive results (or, they pretend to think that way because they figure spending more of other people’s money is a way of buying votes).
Today, let’s add to the evidence that the problems with government schools have nothing to do with money.
Here are some excerpts from a New York Times report by Sarah Mervosh.
Despite billions of federal dollars spent to help make up for pandemic-related learning loss, progress in reading and math stalled over the past school year for elementary and middle-school students… In fact, students in most grades showed slower than average growth in math and reading, when compared with students before the pandemic. That means learning gaps created during the pandemic are not closing — if anything, the gaps may be widening. …Older students, who generally learn at a slower rate and face more challenging material, are the furthest behind.
The story conveniently does not mention the pernicious role of teacher unions, which used the pandemic as an excuse to extort more money and keep schools closed.
Particularly in blue states.
But at least the report acknowledges the negative affect on poorer children.
Students who do not catch up may be less likely to go to college and, research has shown, could earn $70,000 less over their lifetimes. …Nationally, Black and Hispanic students were more likely to have attended schools that stayed remote for longer and often recorded greater losses compared with white and Asian students. They now have more ground to make up, and, like white and Asian students, their rate of learning has not accelerated.
I’m very tempted to contact the New York Times so I can suggest that they edit to subheadline to read “Because of billions of federal aid” rather than “Despite billions in federal aid.”
But I suggested an edit to a similar story in 2019 and it had no effect.
The bottom line is that America’s students need a better system based on choice, competition, and accountability.
Which is why the multi-state adoption of school choice in recent years is great news, especially to those of us who have spent our adult lives watching Democrats throw good money after bad and watching Republicans throw good money after bad.
P.P.S. Eliminating the Department of Education also would be a good idea.
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Image credit: Ken Gallager | CC BY-SA 4.0.
