Privatizing education is the best way to ensure quality
With Gov. Jim Gibbons’ proposed budget cuts to Nevada’s education system being debated within the chambers of the state legislature, everyone is cowering in the corner wondering whether or not we will have a recognizable education system in the future.
Managing and cutting the budget for useless and wasteful programs is what might determine our future. Does a UNLV coach deserve to get paid millions of dollars? Does President David B. Ashley really need a $15,000 desk with matching $3600 leather chairs? Most people don’t care enough to notice this wasteful spending or assume that these benefits are predetermined in contracts. But, when we catch corporate CEOs and other executives flying in private jets or building huge corporate offices, we criticize them openly.
Outrageously expensive desks aside, raising taxes is not the solution. Some suggest raising the room tax because the burden falls on tourists. This mentality is careless because I can’t imagine a tourist who would spend a night in a hotel room with artificially inflated prices due to higher room taxes. As we have seen recently, they are more likely to take their business elsewhere.
More than enough tax money already goes to an already failing public school system. This past election, voters passed yet another room tax to further support the failing public education system in the state.
Every election cycle the schools claim they are in dire need of money, the voters fall for the sob stories and consequentially tax businesses more and throw money at the failing schools without demanding accountability. Soon after, the schools ask for more money claiming the original allocation wasn’t enough.
With tax revenue to the state of Nevada dwindling, schools are obviously feeling a little bit of a pinch. What’s the solution? More money! I’m sorry folks, but as much as your professors like to make you believe, throwing money at a problem isn’t going to fix it. For too long we’ve done just that with Nevada’s education system.
Our public schools are in a severe crisis and this crisis extends beyond financial problems. The big problem plaguing public schools is that they’re public. That’s right, they are owned and run by your government. The reason the budget crisis is affecting K-12 a lot harder than higher education is because they’re dependent on government funds.
The reason the country and our state are failing in educating our youth is because the government controls the education system.
Problem number one: the Department of Education. States and school boards have become so addicted to federal money for their schools that they’ll meet whatever standard the law-makers dictate to them.
This usually doesn’t require much more than mandatory increased attendance. So, schools don’t enforce discipline or academic standards on their students to focus on filling more seats and getting more money. There’s nothing in the Constitution that says the federal government has to fund education.
The only way to cure the problems associated with the Department of Education is to get rid of it and eliminate federal funding for all schools. Once schools rid themselves of the addiction to federal money, they can finally get back to actually teaching their students. Many private schools, especially parochial schools do without federal money and still have a higher success rate.
Problem number two: the government runs a monopoly on education.
Government-run schools fail primarily because parents don’t have a choice in where their children get educated. Could you imagine if the government chose what TV you could have in your home, what car you could drive, what shoes you have to wear and the food you ate? Well, we’re not that far off from some of those things, but essentially you would be stuck with whatever the government dealt you. It would probably not be the optimal choice.
The solution is to give the power to choose schools back to parents. Free-market principles prove to be successful in private schools. When you have choice, you choose better. For some, private schools are out of reach due to tuition fees and other associated costs. One private school here in Las Vegas charges a reasonable $3,600 a year and they have an exceptionally better and higher quality education system most public schools which Nevada spends $7,355 annually. Still, there should be vouchers and public-private ventures to help those who cannot afford a private education by themselves.
What makes many private schools better, as stated earlier, is their rejection of federal money and ineffective federal regulations. Privatizing the education system would mean more leeway determining teaching methods. Also, this would allow schools to enforce more appropriate academic and disciplinary standards.
Another benefit to a private system is that parents get to see the real cost of their child’s education, and so, they will probably care more about it. Why would anyone want to pay $3,500 a year for their child to get an F? Paying for education might force careless parents to have an interest in their child’s education. Return the choice to people and they’ll choose better.
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