Home School or Public School?

You really have no understanding of economics, do you, TTH?

What a dipshit! Which of the 24 types of Librarians are you, Unaliar?

You continue to worship your golden sheep!

But you can't get to it because you've painted yourself into a corner.

No wonder you won't answer the question... Unaliar!

You really have no understanding of economics, do you, TTH? Originally Posted by CuteOldGuy

I think I do. I own two small businesses, both of which seem to be doing pretty well; have a degree, with honors, in economics from one of the better economics programs in the south; and am putting two kids through graduate professional programs at Ivy League universities. Sounds like I've either been damned lucky or have some grasp of the subject.

But aside from that, what is your specific criticism of the post on the ability of families of modest and even upper middle class means to afford private schools even with vouchers?

If an increase in Demand was caused by vouchers, there would be an upward movement along the Supply curve, reflecting an immediate increase in price, and a shortage of private schools. Entrepreneurs noticing a shortage in private schools will increase the Supply of private schools resulting in a downward motion in price. The resulting equilibrium will likely be a greater number of private schools, at a lower overall cost per student. Since once price equilibrium is reached, schools will compete by quality, resulting in lower quality private schools going out of business, and the higher quality private schools increasing with students, resulting in a lower cost per student, but higher quality.

Certainly there will be rich folks who will keep the cost of "their" schools arbitrarily high to keep out the average person, but overall we will have better education for the same or lower cost.

You assume with a great influx of money into the education system, the choices will remain static. They won't. It will be a great boon for education.

I have no idea how you have several successful businesses as stupid as you are when it comes to economics. If I were you, I'd try to get my money back from whatever college gave you the Econ degree. University of Phoenix?

There will be no influx of money into the educational system, just a shift.

Not enough, IMHO, to create sufficient infrastructure to accommodate the influx of students all running away from public school systems.

Pay teachers less because there is more competition? Buy fewer computers? Science laboratory equipment? this will IMPROVE the quality of education in the US?

You're in a corner again Whiny ... On Fantasy Island!

Private schools may mitigate this problem.

Another practice routinely avoided or discouraged in government schools.

If an increase in Demand was caused by vouchers, there would be an upward movement along the Supply curve, reflecting an immediate increase in price, and a shortage of private schools. Entrepreneurs noticing a shortage in private schools will increase the Supply of private schools resulting in a downward motion in price. The resulting equilibrium will likely be a greater number of private schools, at a lower overall cost per student. Since once price equilibrium is reached, schools will compete by quality, resulting in lower quality private schools going out of business, and the higher quality private schools increasing with students, resulting in a lower cost per student, but higher quality.

Certainly there will be rich folks who will keep the cost of "their" schools arbitrarily high to keep out the average person, but overall we will have better education for the same or lower cost.

You assume with a great influx of money into the education system, the choices will remain static. They won't. It will be a great boon for education.

I have no idea how you have several successful businesses as stupid as you are when it comes to economics. If I were you, I'd try to get my money back from whatever college gave you the Econ degree. University of Phoenix? Originally Posted by CuteOldGuy

Grated on every point about prices initially rising and drawing more intrants into a field. But the private business can no more run a top quality school on the amounts of the vouchers than can government. There is no inherent efficiency or advantage to one form over another. It still is going to take $60 - 75k to hire an entry level teacher who graduated in the top 20 percentile of her class if she went to a good college. They can't do that on a shoestring. Period.

There's a reason I'm shelling out $130,000 a year for grad school for two kids. Good schools cost lots of money. Same will apply in any other context. Neither Harvard nor Yale educate kids any cheaper than UT.

Why do parochial schools stay in business? Strictly from student tuitions? they've got their own "taxing districts" built in.

This will never provide opportunity for all Americans and will keep The quality of American education down.

But at least some of your kids won't have to be exposed to, well, you know...