The argument I heard year after year from teachers and school officials in my home county was that if you cared about your children you'd give teachers more pay to match the richer county next door. They actually tried to tie their pay increases to proof that you loved your children. The higher pay never worked nor did throwing more money at education in any form. Every year the schools got worse. Yeah, I'm sure some of the problem is the kids I see who haven't even been taught simple courtesy to others. But those parents have virtually no say in what goes on in their children's schools. I really believe public schools, largely thanks to liberal school boards and the teachers unions, are beyond saving. Close them all down, eliminate the property taxes that pay for them and let parents use that money to create their own parent directed schools, home school or whatever works for their child.