"Let Them Eat Cake..."

Arguably the greatest failure of progressive politics since the middle of last century is the colossal mess that is public education in America. Public schools, in curriculum, staffing, management and philosophy, are totally owned by the Left since at least the 1960s. Despite an inflation-adjusted tripling in per-student spending, educational results since then have either remained flat or worsened. Dumbed down curricula, grade inflation, and social promotion have all been used to mask this colossal failure, and every criticism of performance is met with "we need more money" chorus calls.

Occasional efforts at reform, via school choice, legislative intercession in curriculum, or imposition of accountability, are met with howls of indignation, Chicken-Littling, and outright lies. No matter that reformers like Eva Moskowitz and her Success Academy charter schools in NYC have produced far better results with half the per-student money and a political establishment that's so deep in the pockets of the teachers' unions (who see charters as an existential threat) that the children do not matter at all to them.