>>>>>
The US spends $420 Billion dollars per year on Education alone.  There are
less than 50 million students being educated.  (You do the math).  That's a
bit more than none.
<<<<<

The "You do the math" challenge got to me.

According to Qedit, that turns out to be $8400 per student, per year
(assuming your numbers are accurate.)

I know someone is whose daughter is starting at a private school in the fall
-- for $14k a year.  Except that they expect significant additional cash
donations (that way, part of the total cost is deductable) as well as
significant volunteer time.  Now, this is a very good school.  I'd guess
that a barely adequate school might cost somewhere around, oh, say,
$8400/year.

Except that there are an awful lot of teachers who work far harder than
they're paid to to educate their students.  Yes, there are some who
shouldn't be teaching, and a fair number who are merely adequate, but there
are an awful lot of very dedicated professionals out there.

There are also a lot of incomptent superintendents and administrators,
greedy beaurocrats, and crooked politians.

Worst of all, there are a lot of parents who either don't have the
time/money/energy or the interest in supporting their children's education
let alone actually participating in it.

I apologize for getting on my soapbox, but this is one of those topics that
get me going...

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