Seriously. Save half the school state outlay and give parents $6k for each kid. If you want to use the $6k for crack cocaine fine. Your kds’ loss. But for $6k per kid we could fly to the sites of famous battles for history or order top notch science equipment. Sheesh. For $12k then public school kid today gets not one pencil of his own, nor a field trip farther than the class can walk. Something’s wrong.
You are absolutely right.
Actually, your idea would save the state far more than half because one of the biggest expenses for schooling comes with the pensions and benefits of retired teachers. Fewer government teachers would save the counties and state HUGE amounts of money if there are fewer teachers moving into the ranks of the retirees.
If states wanted to balance their budgets, it would be simple. Just give the parents $5,000 for each kid they remove from the government school. In our state the average private tuition is about $4,000 and this includes averaging in even the **most** expensive private schools that have country club grounds and facilities.
Another way to help balance state budgets without costing the taxpayers a dime would be to allow any child of any age to take the GED or a similar private exam. If they pass, give them an official high school diploma from the local government school. Many children are languishing in government school because they need a GED or high school diploma to qualify for scholarships and financial aid, or to join the military.
All government school classes from kindergarten through graduate school should be on the Internet. They should be available for free to any citizen of the state. Hey! They paid for it. Why the big secret in keeping it hidden? If the child passes a specific subject, ( for example addition facts), they should be immediately promoted to the next level in that topic.
By the way, I think all students should be required to take the GED to qualify for a government diploma. The teachers should be required to pass it every three years, or so. It is my guess that most would fail the math section.