Welfare statism has made education worse, more expensive, and massively time-wasting. Parents are not allowed to vote with their values and their wallets, and educators are not allowed to create curricula and teaching methods without regulatory approval. And entrepreneurs and investors are not permitted to pursue their educational vision on a level playing field without competing with subsidized government (public) schools and dealing with costly government regulations.
Education is the only major sector that hasn’t seen major improvements in quality and, besides healthcare, the only sector where costs haven’t been reduced in real terms over the past 100 years. You may not think of today’s government (public) education as expensive because you don’t get a regular bill in the mail. But you pay for it dearly in the form of federal and state taxes, and property taxes or rent (depending on if you own or rent your home). And you, your parents, and grandparents have paid a very steep price through the lack of progress in education.
Whether you own or rent your home, part of the property taxes you or your landlord are forced to pay fund the local government (public) schools. The fact that a good chunk of your hard-earned money goes to the local schools makes school choice unaffordable for all but the wealthy, who can afford to enroll their children in private schools, or the extremely dedicated, who decide to teach their children at home. However, they cannot fully escape either, because private, and to some extent home schools, are subject to stifling regulations as well.
Think Right or Wrong, Not Left or Right 