[Liberty Wins]

“The idea that public schools of any sort are automatically “bad” is ludicrous.”

Actually, the system began to rot from within when atheist/socialist John Dewey became the dominant influence in American education. The reading methods were sabotaged, resulting in ever-increasing illiteracy until the rate now hovers around 40% to 50% and higher in some school districts. Every child who can’t read becomes a low-information voter.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Actually, the system began to rot from within when atheist/socialist John Dewey became the dominant influence in American education. The reading methods were sabotaged, resulting in ever-increasing illiteracy until the rate now hovers around 40% to 50% and higher in some school districts. Every child who can’t read becomes a low-information voter."

Yes, this is true. But his influence didn't begin to assert itself until the early 20th Century. Locally funded and controlled schools began with the first colonial settlements, so there is a lengthy period of time in which said public schools work just fine. Many of them were initiated by religious groups, true....but they were still locally funded and controlled.

The real death blow was "desegregation", in which courts basically took over many schools or placed them under (ultimate) federal control.

[wintertime]

Prussian-style, socialis-entitlement, police-enforced, and single-payer schooling was a progressive wet dream from the beginning. Progressives pushed the idea. Progressives have always controlled teacher training and curriculum development, and progressives have always been pushing for increasing secularization and now complete godlessness. Progressives have always been pushing at the edges on the envelope of community moral standards.

Fundamentally, socialist-entitlement, single-payer, state compelled, and price-fixed cartel schooling **was** and **is** built upon a corrupt foundation.

**IT CAN NOT BE REFORMED** ( Yeah! I am shouting.)