Despite all the propaganda and deception, how to create a high-quality school system is not difficult to figure out.

First, the best teachers come from educating and training a dedicated cadre of professionals (masters and PHDs degrees are preferred), and then paying them a salary equivalent to their worth. This is not cheap. But if you think education is expensive, try ignorance!

Second, these teachers must be matched with class of students throughout their entire 1st through 12th grade schooling. This way, each teach is intimately familiar with each student. Understands their strengths, weaknesses, needs, etc. It’s hard to have an adversarial relationship with your teacher in the 12th grade, when he/she has been a parental figure almost your entire life!

Third, a student who struggles must be given intensive one-on-one tutoring.

Fourth, the parents, school board, and administration must fully support items one through three.

That’s pretty much it.

Basic, functional school facilities are important too (i.e., busing, air conditioning, heating. lighting, etc., sufficient to eliminate distractions), but they pale in comparison to these other factors. There’s no need to spend outrageous sums of money on stadiums, technology, or window dressing. Return that money back into teacher training and salaries.

Our higher education system of colleges and universities is still the best in the world. However, never-ending cutbacks of state funding and skyrocketing tutiion is pushing this out of the reach of the middle class. This penny wise and pound foolish! I’ll save that for another day.