>this is all to say that be it the local government or a privatized system, the education system seems very much beholden to their patrons, the rich families.

>this is all to say that be it the local government or a privatized system, the education system seems very much beholden to their patrons, the rich families. I think you are arguing that school quality is a function of the kinds of students that attend the school, rather than the value the school itself adds. In that case I agree with you. >saying that the current system isn't good enough doesn't automatically mean that some other system is better. the question remains. My hypothesis is that schools could be run much more cheaply and be as effective as they are today. Therefore the money not spent on public schools (or on expensive homes in good school districts) could be gainfully invested elsewhere in the economy which would make everyone more wealthy.