Guest Column Nathan A. Benefield
Christopher Thomforde's April 25 Your View makes a strong case that education is important to civil society. Point conceded.
But there is no debate in the state capitol as to whether education is important. There is only a discussion of whether taxpayers should be forced to give $26 billion for public schools, or if $25 billion is sufficient. Evidence indicates that simply throwing more dollars at public schools won't improve the quality of education, but changing incentives — giving parents more choices and rewarding good teachers — will.
Likewise, one can recognize the value of a college education to a student, which is why students and parents will continue to invest in higher learning. Curiously, Christopher Thomforde's column implies higher education would disappear without state funding, yet he lists programs at Lehigh University, Muhlenberg College, DeSales University and Moravian College that succeed without state funding.
The policy question is whether universities like Penn State need $300 million in earmarked funds from state taxpayers, while schools like Moravian College receive none. Again, evidence would indicate that subsidies to politically chosen universities do little to lower tuition, increase college graduation rates or promote economic growth.
Gov. Corbett's budget raises very legitimate questions as to how much taxpayers should be forced to spend on education, and how that money is best spent.
Nathan A. Benefield is director of policy research at the Commonwealth Foundation
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