[Snerfling]

Regarding all the complaints about illegal immigration and deteriorating public eductation: I suppose it's interesting if you're only confronting it for the first time, but for veterans who've been there and done that, one must realize that there's only ONE thing you can do to take advantage of the situation and benefit from policies of which you have no control.

To wit, try and get your children into schools and school districts in the wealthiest part of town. The best course of action, of course, is to try to move into the nicest area that you can afford, but failing that, try and get your kids into a school in that area.

The reason for this is that public schools in upscale neighborhoods are many times better than private schools. Put yourself in the position of some of the teachers who have posted here; they will tell you that it is VERY hard to get a teaching position at a top-notch public school. The reason is that everyone wants to teach good students.

Not only that, but the student body is typically made up of children who's parents have made the proper moves in order for them to attend schools in these districts and are usually pro-discipline.

Last, but not least, the tax system, as corrupt as it is, actually benefits homes with higher propety values and mortgages by making these expenses tax deductible.

Here in LA, even in the notorious LA Unified system, Taft, Penninsula & Palisades are often times finalists in Calif's high school decathalon for these exact reasons. (Many times going up against Beverly Hills High.)

Sure, it may be a racket, but I'd rather be the one gaming the system rather than being gamed.

[SUSSA]

You miss the point. Government schools have no place in a free society.

But allow me to address our statement that government schools in the “rich” neighborhoods are far better than free market schools before I go on. This statement is not born out by any reputable study that I know of. Nor is it born out by the waiting lists at the free market schools, some of which charge stiff deposits to get on the list. Poor families are not paying these deposits to get their kids on a list that is several years long. It is the high producers who have the income to get their kids out of the failing government schools and into free market schools who are shelling out these deposits. To get your kid into some of the most expensive free market schools, you have to put the kid on the waiting list the week they are born.

The schools that cater to less affluent families are no less in demand. Just about every free market school I know of has more people wanting to get in than they have room for.

If government schools in the better neighborhoods were good there would be no huge demand for free market schools.

But the biggest problem with government schools is the fact that they teach kids that the government will take over your responsibility if you just get enough people to demand it. Like every other welfare program they breed dependence and stifle personal responsibility.

Government schools are the breeding ground for transferring personal responsibility from the individual to the nanny government. That is the biggest harm they do.