Choice and competition will improve public education

Bruce Lear lured me into reading his opinion about so-called school vouchers with a story about dumpster fires and Roseanne Barr (June 17 Gazette).

He's worked in public schools for 38 years so he believes public school money is not taxpayer money or students' money. A whole segment of the population believes that the public schools legitimately have a divine right to their funding.

If we look at why some products continue to be popular and some are abandoned we find that personal choice really is an efficient way of directing scarce resources. All resources are scarce to an extent determined by price. Public school is immune to this natural management. Bruce Lear and the public school cult believe that theft of parents' and taxpayers' funds to “educate” kids is naturally sacred.

Small town community spirit inspires excellence despite a lack of the incentive of ownership. But private schools and home schooling consistently show superior results, and to make parents who want more involvement in their kids' lives pay twice is morally depraved.

If Mr. Lear can come up with a way to avoid this theft, I will listen. Until then a compromise through Education Savings Accounts is needed so that lower income families can choose to get their kids off to a good start in life. Widespread acceptance of compulsory funding and attendance in school is a huge handicap for our children's future but competition with public education will improve it.

Fritz Groszkruger

Dumont