March 16, 2015 - 19:05
"Voters and taxpayers...do sense that things are changing, and many of them dislike what they see. 'why should we be paying for the education of their children?' they ask, sotto voce, and so they gow reluctant to underwrite public education with their tax dollars."
Something that has always upset me in regards to school funding is how many people look at it through a narrow lens. Paying for education is seen as an individualized affair, something that should be done on your own. This idea is detrimental to society as a whole. Taxpaying members of our society should want to pay for the education of everyone, if only because they understand the importance of living in an educated society. If everyone were to receive the benefits of a quality education, the benefit to society as a whole would be enormous. The number of high-skilled, high-paying jobs is expected to grow, and if Americans could all recieve an excellent education, we would be poised to earn those jobs. This, in turn, would generate more tax revenue for America and stimulate the economy.
Furthermore, having an educated society is just nice in general. We could have intelligent discussions, informed voters, and more critical thinkers helping to solve the problem's we're facing today. In short, there is really no downside to having an educated society, and the fact that there are people who aren't willing to spend money on making sure that happens worries me to no end.