Gambling, for most people, is a voluntary activity, a choice. Why does the state force the rest of us to gamble on education?
When gambling, players know the basic odds before playing, and accept that the house has an advantage. They put money up front and depend on chance (in a fair game) to let them win occasionally over a certain period of time.
Think of the present school funding process as similar to gambling.
With government education, we always front the money through taxes at the beginning of each fiscal year (like betting on the same square, line, or number in a casino game), hoping to win (when a child is educated to a certain level) at the end of the school year. Parents consider winning as their child being able to perform to a certain standard at the end of the year.
If a child does not receive an “adequate education” according to New Hampshire law, i.e., the school system fails, the parents lose their money. But the school system always wins by keeping the money; whether the school performs or not, or the child meets standards or not. The schools always win, and taxpayers lose no matter what. The law mandating educational performance is ignored.
If the parents win the bet, they don’t get their money back along with an additional sum; they get a child prepared to advance in his or her learning. They “win” but lose their money anyway. But they’re happy because the child’s performance has supposedly improved, whether they pay $27,000 per pupil per year, or $33,000. It’s irrelevant.
According to New Hampshire statistics, NO government school in the state produces students who are at grade levels according to national standards, yet their scorecards indicate they are “in compliance.” Is this the “adequate education” we’re paying for? Is this a fair game for taxpayers?
So, while all taxpayers are involuntary gamblers in this scam, very few “win.” Yet, we go back and put our money on the same line on the same table every year, hoping for a better result. Parents and other taxpayers with no children in the school system are scammed. All people pay the money and get the same odds, but only a few ever have a chance to “win.” No one seems to care.
In craps, they call this “betting on the come,” and in business, it means giving a new employee advance compensation based on expected future success. In education, success seldom occurs, but we keep paying upfront for a result we know will never occur.
Why are we paying first and knowing we will get failure at the end? Over and over? That’s the definition of insanity, but everyone buys into it.
Why don’t we stop gambling and start paying at the end of the academic year when we know the results of our investment? We should not be gambling with education. We should be given a product with measurable results, THEN pay for that successful product.
That would also provide an incentive for government schools to work harder to bring children up to standards.
Better yet, why don’t parents seek alternative education models that are shown to have a much better result, cost much less, take less time, and give parents some control? And no one will force us to pay year after year if those alternatives fail. Parents are free to seek options which will keep showing success for their children; and quit funding those that do not.
Many states have a “three strikes” program for repeat criminal offenders. Maybe something similar would work for schools. A school will get three chances (three academic years) to show significant improvement. If they fail after the third try, they are defunded – out of business. Doors closed, and the building sold. Local taxes reduced.
Only then will the free market among education alternatives allow families the choice to seek meaningful education for their children at a much lower cost. Funding is another topic entirely, which others, like Ian Underwood, have addressed in past Grok articles.
The Republican-majority legislature can make real progress on education this term. Get it done!
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We’d like to thank Matt T. for the Op-Ed. As a reminder, authors’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers. Submit Op-Eds to steve@granitegrok.com
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