“There is no problem in New York City that doubling the budget

won’t solve”

—Economist John Kenneth Galbraith

That decades-old quote by Galbraith sums up the philosophy behind many big-government programs. The idea was that any problem could be fixed by just expanding the government enough.

That idea has failed time and time again.

Today, virtually everyone recognizes that failure. Even Bill Clinton, who once promoted a massive plan for government-management of America’s health-care system has said, “the era of big-government is over.”

Empowering individuals and providing choices, not one-size fits all government monopoly, usually leads to better solutions.

Nowhere is this clearer than in public education, where the average per-pupil spending has tripled in constant dollars since the 1960s, while quality did not improve accordingly.

Over 30 years ago, free-market economist Milton Friedman warned in his book “Capitalism and Freedom” that lack of consumer choice would cause the public school system to decline.

His warnings are now recognized to be right, and choice in education is being promoted like never before.

The current issue of American Spectator contains a tremendous article by William Tucker concerning school choice. He shows how people are increasingly putting students in front of the educational establishment.

Charter schools are popping up around the country.

There are 1200 charter schools that will educate 200,000 children this fall. According to Tucker, these tax-supported schools are independent and usually exempt from teacher’s union contracts and excessive red tape.

Tucker also praises private schools as well as the vouchers that make private school an option for poor families.

He mentions the Children’s Scholarship Fund, supported with $100 million from prominent donors, that will give poor children the chance to go to private schools.

Similar philanthropic projects abound, such as a donation by philanthropist Virginia Gilder that will send 458 children from a failing school district to private school.

Government vouchers to attend private religious schools currently help over 4500 students in Milwaukee and Cleveland get a better education, according to Tucker.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the voucher program constitutional when it was challenged.

Tucker reports that teacher’s unions are unwilling to appeal the case, fearing the U.S. Supreme Court will rule against them.

In addition to independent charter schools and private schools, another choice is to educate children at home.

This year 1.2 million children will be home-schooled by their parents — about two percent of all students — and the numbers are growing!

Tucker cites a national study that places home-schooled children’s performance on standardized tests at the 80 to 87th percentile.

Home-schooling has grown to a critical mass now, and these parents will stand up for their children’s education.

Tucker mentions that four years ago when Democratic Congressman George Miller tried to require home-schooling parents to get teaching certificates, Congress was flooded with calls and faxes and Miller’s motion failed 424-1.

Momentum is building, but the teacher’s unions are not about to give up their monopoly status without a fight.

The two largest unions spend about $4 million every two years on political campaigns.

Clinton is a beneficiary of this money. It may explain why he vetoed a bill that would have given education vouchers to poor children in Washington, D.C. in June and vetoed “A+ savings accounts” in July. These savings accounts would have let parents save money tax-free and spend it on private education for their children.

What makes the hostility to educational choice so odd is that choice is supported whole-heartedly at the college level.

Pell Grants and GI Bill money follow students whether they choose to go to state universities or private universities.

Even students attending religious universities receive these education vouchers with bipartisan support.

We should expand choice in education and put the interests of parents and children above the interests of administrators and unions. The future of education is looking brighter, and it is important to remember why.

Mr. Friedman, if you are listening, America owes you a debt of gratitude. And Mr. Galbraith, if you are listening, you owe the previous generation of children an apology!

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Benjamin Studenski is a senior in industrial engineering from Hastings, Minn.