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Education "vouchers" solve the fiscal crisis, and also lead to economic recovery?
Simply open up K-12 education to the market place, with government only playing a role by financing the students with a yearly education check of $8000.
*www.usagovernmentspending.com shows American local governments spending $458.3 billion for K-12 education in 2012.
*(Sir Ken Robinson says this education system is a complete failure)
*The new education cost of $8000 education check to 50 million K-12 students is $400 billion per year
*This saves $58.3 billion
*(a $6000 check would save $158.3 billion)
*The yearly education check allows students(and their parents) to choose how, when, where, and what they learn, and also who teaches them
*The yearly education check of $8000 opens up a $400B/year market to entrepreneurs, teachers, and creatives
*($6000 check opens up a $300B/year market to entrepreneurs, teachers, and creatives)
State fiscal crisis solved, federal fiscal crisis solved, and the new education market leads America's economic recovery.
Thoughts everyone?
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Petar Ivanov
The Soviet Union tried "same quality" and "equal services" and the result was a complete failure. Even after 1989 Soviet politicians thought the people would be worse off if the food service industry was opened to the market. Knowing history, it is quite weird that Americans have Soviet mentality when it comes to the K-12 education. And as expected, the education system is a failure, politicians defend the failure, and people are opposed to opening up the education industry to the market place.
What would you choose for yourself and your children?
A. Turning the food service industry over to the government where politicians tell you when, what, where, and how to eat.
A'. Turning the education industry over to the government where politicians tell students when, what, where, and how to learn.
B. A completely open food service industry where anyone can open a restaurant, grocery store, deli, bakery, and people are free to chose when, what, where, and how they eat.
B'. A completely open education service industry where anyone can offer education services, and people are free to chose when, what, where, and how they learn --- and the government redistributes wealth into the hands of K-12 students every year in the form of a $8000/student/yr.
Equality is in the $8000 voucher to every K-12 student, and everyone is free to choose non-profit education services like TED.
John Smith 30+
Petar Ivanov
Comparing Soviet education system to American public education is a great apples to apples comparison since America has centrally planned public schools and a government monopoly on the education system. And both countries failed at education, with America's inner city public schools being the biggest failure.
I like comparing the cost and quality of different public school cafeterias. Ever compare cost and quality of public school cafeterias with private restaurants?
So if public schools were the only choice... How about parents of public school students get a "meal voucher" so students who bring their own lunch are compensated for the school's failure? And students also get a class voucher so they can choose the teachers that don't suck?
ANAIRDA SAPUL
Petar Ivanov
The Soviet system did work for some people. Wouldn't it be great for American education when $8000 vouchers given to all students opens a $400B/yr market so entrepreneurs could set up schools with the same rigorous teaching methods and standards seen in Soviet education? Parents and students would be free to choose the traditional Soviet schooling offering, and also have the money to pay for it.