Compare/contrast the spelling, writing, grammar skills from Colonial America era with the modern education system. Compare/contrast also modern home schooling or private education with the bloated public school end products. If anything the opposite may be true-—more money allocated to public education may actually be a hindrance and wasteful to accomplish the objectives of learning.
Well, one difference is the "official" illiteracy rate - back then everybody know that 50% of the population couldn't read and write - now it's politically incorrect to admit that, so the same people all have government jobs. :)