If groceries were supplied like K-12 education

A post by Don Bodreux at Cafe Hayek begins with this.

Suppose that we were supplied with groceries in same way that we are supplied with K-12 education.

He goes on to describe an imaginary scenario where our groceries would be managed and distributed by the government in way similar to our system of public education.  He concludes:

Does anyone believe that such a system for supplying groceries would work well, or even one-tenth as well as the current private, competitive system that we currently rely upon for supplying grocery-retailing services?  To those of you who might think so, pardon me but you’re nuts.
To those of you who understand that such a system for supplying grocery-retailing services would be a catastrophe, why might you continue to count yourself in the ranks of those who believe that government schooling (especially the way it is currently funded and supplied) is the system that we should continue to use?

The 233 comments offer rebuttals and further debate on this issue.  I haven't read all comments, but I did see where one reader made the point that many poor urban residents do not currently have much choice in grocery stores, so how would a free market school system be any better than what we have now.  A response was that "ghetto" grocery stores still serve the public better than their public schools do.  Additionally, for urban residents who care about these things, the obstacles to shopping at a higher quality market are much less formidable than those blocking residents who desire that their children attend a school other than their local dropout factory.

An interesting discussion on this over at Kitchen Table Math.

2011 ABCs of School Choice

2011 ABCs of School Choice, published by The Foundation for Educational Choice, is a resource for the latest on school choice developments across the country. 

January 2011

Much has been made of the changes 2011 will bring in government in the United States—from local communities to state capitols to the halls of Congress. It is undeniable that Americans have had enough of the waste, inefficiency, and lack of accountability on display in Washington and in all 50 states. 

But the fundamental ideas that many in our nation have embraced with renewed zeal are not really new at all. The principles of human freedom, limited government, responsible spending, and the power for individuals and families to make their own choices were articulated passionately half a century ago by Milton Friedman.

Those same principles have been championed by advocates of school choice for decades. Their hard work is paying off across the country, as legislators respond to calls for choice and the enactment of new voucher, tax-credit scholarship, and educational tax credit programs.

No single, one-size-fits-all approach to education can meet the unique needs of the country’s diverse students, families, and communities. People deserve options and the right to choose what’s best for them and their children. That diversity of options can be overwhelming. And the rate at which government leaders from coast to coast are finally taking action to provide more choices can make it difficult to keep up.
That’s where our annual publication, The ABCs of School Choice, comes in. It provides all the basic information you need to grasp the state of school choice in the U.S., as well as specific details to update you on every school choice program across the country.
The gains of recent years are heartening. Because families’ options are increasing, more kids are receiving the motivating, challenging, effective education they deserve. We have come a long way—but there is still much to be done. The opponents of choice will only increase their efforts to maintain the status quo. That’s why we are committed to continuing to provide you with up-to-date, accurate information about successful school choice programs throughout the country.
We at the Foundation for Educational Choice hope you find this guide to be an essential aid as you continue working to give parents the choices they desire—and the education their children deserve.

Adult priorities create dropout factories - Education Action Group Foundation

Spreading the word that "kids aren't cars".  EAG is headquartered in Michigan.

Education Action Group Foundation believes the one-size-fits-all, assembly line public school system requires serious reform.

• Put the needs of students first.  What do students need in order to be successful?  A quality teacher in every classroom.  Up-to-date teaching methods and supplies.  "Quality-blind" layoff rules are an insult to effective teachers.
• Put the needs of adults second.  During contract time, the fight is invariably about pay, benefits and retirement, not “what policies need to change in order to increase student achievement.”
• Empower parents to choose the school option that best meets the needs of their children.
• State governments should enact reforms to give schools more control over their budgets and personnel decisions.

Found this at Joanne Jacobs