It is no secret that public education in the United States is failing to educate students all over the country.

While there are lots of factors that contribute to the problem, the over-riding cause receives little or no attention: For over 100 years, public education in the United States has operated as a monopolistic system.  

Each community has its own single provider of public education, and in most cases it produces the same product for every student year after year. 

The main contributing factor is the monopolistic system under which public education operates.

Some families have dealt with the monopoly by opting-out with private education or selecting their monopoly by choosing where to live.  But a growing part of the population are captive because they can’t just pick up and move to a better school district. In those cases, the districts are the least likely to improve.

Some families have dealt with the monopoly by opting-out with private education or selecting their monopoly by choosing where to live.  But a growing part of the population are captive because they can’t just pick up and move to a better school district. In those cases, the districts are the least likely to improve.

Broadly speaking, there are three ways to improve educational outcomes for students in our current system. 

Broadly speaking, there are three ways to improve educational outcomes for students in our current system. 

Education is one area where improvement is genuinely in all our interests – and that requires a public education sector that is designed intentionally to innovate.

Education is one area where improvement is genuinely in all our interests – and that requires a public education sector that is designed intentionally to innovate.