What Plato thought no parents would ever do, turn over their own children to others to be reeducated, the parents of America did after World War II.
if you wondered why plato wanted the kids...
In addition, Plato believed that the interests of the state are best preserved if children are raised and educated by the society as a whole, rather than by their biological parents. So he proposed a simple (if startlingly unfamiliar) scheme for the breeding, nurturing, and training of children in the guardian class. (Note that the same children who are not permitted to watch and listen to "dangerous" art are encouraged to witness first-hand the violence of war.) The presumed pleasures of family life, Plato held, are among the benefits that the higher classes of a society must be prepared to forego.
plato
With the ever-present danger of tyranny accompanying military rule, efforts must be made to curb the guardians' natural tendency to lord over the citizens. Socrates suggests that the guardians be controlled through an education designed to make them like "noble puppies" that are fierce with enemies and gentle with familiars (375a). Education in music for the soul and gymnastics for the body, Socrates says, is the way to shape the guardians' character correctly and thereby prevent them from terrorizing the citizens. Thus, the guardians' education is primarily moral in nature, emphasizing the blind acceptance of beliefs and behaviors rather than the ability to think critically and independently.
plato on education
financially speaking I read today...
Dad: ok, found the "where the money goes" chart
1.7 billion for public education
me: how many kids?
Dad: about 120,000 under the age of 18
make it 78,000 school-age kids
over $20k per child per year
sorry he had other things todo before I got the link the the chart myself..but he did say:
Dad:got a site for the Mayor'
s office
Google says "this site may harm your computer"
......
Dad: This warning message appears with search results we've identified as sites that may install malicious software on your computer:
apparently they mayor's office is infested with some form of crudware
me: wonder what the IT budget is...
and then further research of Dad...
Dad: "Only 37 percent of tested students in District of Columbia Public Schools and the city’s public charter schools earned proficient or advanced rankings in reading in 2007, and only 32 percent reached those levels in math, Jennifer Comey told the city council. However, between 2006 and 2007, the share of all public school students testing proficient or advanced increased. In 2007, public charter school students tested slightly higher on average compared with DCPS students."
that is from a study by the urban institute
That was a quote he pulled, kids had me busy so I didn't get to ask for the link.
regardless I trust his research.