[Puzzleman]

True!

[Tax-chick]

Vandensavel's school offers extra sports programs and classes in hairdressing, car mechanics, cooking, and furniture building. She told us, "We have to work hard day after day. Otherwise you just [go] out of business."

What a thought ... working hard to provide a service the customer wants to pay for!

In the U.S., the worse schools do, the more money they get. Why are we surprised that we have increasing costs for declining results?

[Man50D]

How many Freepers out there home school your kids?

[Flifuss]

Stossel says "Harvard economist Caroline Hoxby told me. 'If schools don't perform well, a parent would never be trapped in that school in the same way you could be trapped in the U.S.'"

I believe the teachers union trap the kids in public schools. The union doesn't want competition and doesn't want to be held accountable for actually teaching.

I watched a local access cable program a few months back. A grass roots movement of teachers from the district hired a consultant to speak about strategies for extracting more money from the State. The state education budget is tight as is the districts. I watched the whole program in amazement because I did not hear any ideas or strategies on how to reduce costs, not one.

If you are in the private sector and your budget is tight, the first thing you look at are costs and where you can reduce them.

[Zack Nguyen]

Apparently competition, which made even the Postal Service improve, is unconstitutional when it comes to public education in Florida.

Of course it is. Public schools are a monopoly, of which you have no choice but to pay for. Otherwise they could never get away with such incompetence.

[television is just wrong]

In California, 50% of the budget goes to public schools. THEY ARE A TOTAL FAILURE.

They have one principal and 6 assistant principals. Each one of those asst. principals makes 80 - 100,000.00 a year. Top heavy schools, Wasteful of resources. Janitors don't clean, they only drive around emptying trash cans the 'special needs' kids fill after lunch, and put the flag up.

Otherwise they sit around doing much about nothing...

[Rightwingmom]

We homeschool. My kids have never attended public school. They are ages 14, 12, 9 and 7. I think homeschoolers and private schoolers should get tax breaks for providing our children's education.

[one more state]

I'm wonder if the lawyer pleading this case wasn't worth his salt. I would think the uniform state standards that all schools private or public must meet would be proof of uniformity.

[OB1kNOb]

....and the winner of the N.S. Sherlock Award goes to....John Stossel!!! Come on down !!

[hosepipe]

[ Public Schools Are Cheating the Children ]

Thats Weasle-Speak for the NEA and Teachers Unions..
Stossel just didnt have the cohones to say it..

Even worse is Ultra Leftist absolute control of our Colleges..
And TREASON being to most unheard word in Wash D.C. except for socialist..

[demkicker]

Hopefully, an airtight lawsuit will be filed and this absurd decision can eventually get overturned. The arrogance is sickening. The left will not be happy until every school kid replaces saying the pledge of allegiance to singing, "If I only had a brain".

[reelfoot]

I know many cannot swing it, but to those able to make the sacrifice, homeschooling or private schools are the way to go (in that order).

The government schools, with few exceptions, suck. (Government runs schools like it runs other enterprises: abysmally.)