I'm not arguing the correlation between income and intelligence. I've read The Bell Curve and it's spot on. And thank you for noting that I am an "exception." My point is that children live in communities based on their parent's income and that correlates to property taxes. So the best and worst teachers in Alexandria, Louisiana make the same. The do-nut example is that teachers in Northbrook, Ill make much more than those in inner city Chicago. More K-12 teachers are in schools like Alexandria than Northbrook.
Universities are totally independent of property values. If they perform well (merit) as in the case of Harvard, then people from everywhere want to go there. The cost for tuition goes up (free market) and they pay their profs more. Profs will move from LSU to Harvard if they have the chance but few would move from Alexandria to Northbrook to teach English I.
I haven't read The Bell Curve, so I don't get the reference. Also, I don't understand the system in La...they don't have counties, but parishes, etc. A little confusing for a NY'er.
And yes, you probably are an exception -- either brilliant or clever.
I read the Bell Curve, too. Great book. I was an ed major once upon a time and gave up for various reasons, among them was that the system was messed up. If there would be more people like you, there would be a chance. Unfortunately, the people going into education like the way the system is and want it to stay the same. Most people in my ed classes were people I decided I did not want as my professional peers.