The Watergate-era maxim still applies today: follow the money.In American education, the question is not how much money is spent, but where the money goes.
Does funding follow institutions, or does it follow children? Does it serve adult interests, or truly benefit students? This distinction increasingly explains why some states spend more without producing better results, while others see academic gains by empowering parents with meaningful educational choices.New York City is a striking example.In 2024, its Department of Education spent roughly $40 billion, about $36,000 per pupil, one of the highest levels in the nation.
Despite this massive investment, student literacy outcomes remain dire.Recent reports found that in 503 of 906 NYC schools studied, most students failed both reading and math exams.
State data revealed only 29% of eighth graders were proficient in reading.This means more than seven out of 10 students cannot read at grade level, despite the city’s unprecedented spending.If one of the nation’s highest-funded school systems still leaves most students struggling to read proficiently, should policymakers continue focusing solely on increasing funding? Or should they also prioritize empowering parents with more educational options to better serve their children?DEMOCRATS AIM TO KILL SCHOOL CHOICE FROM WISCONSIN TO THE REST OF THE USNext example, Chicago.
Despite a substantial increase in funding, only 43% of Chicago students in grades three through eight met reading proficiency standards in 2025, and just 27% reached proficiency in math.Among eleventh graders, proficiency rates dropped even lower: 40% in reading and 25% in math.
Chronic absenteeism hovered above 40%.Even after lowering proficiency standards, most students failed to meet grade-level expectations.Education in states like Louisiana and Florida is outperforming big city programs in New York City and Chicago.
(iStock)These cases are not arguments against public education.Rather, ...