If the U.S. Won't Pay Its Teachers, China Will
The most moving and informed coverage of the US education system I&#x27;ve heard have all been through This American Life.[0][1][2][3]<p>Ok, there&#x27;s an easy four hours of content to listen to. Enjoy!<p>The short takeaway for me was basically that local funding through property taxes is a terrible idea if you want anything approaching fairness.<p>If you can afford to live in an area with high property taxes, the US school system is great, your kids probably go to a great school. If you are struggling to get by, though, living in an apartment? Your kids are usually banned from going to that same great school by law.<p>It&#x27;s like anti-literacy laws were too obvious, so we just made them more byzantine.<p>[0] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.thisamericanlife.org&#x2F;radio-archives&#x2F;episode&#x2F;562&#x2F;the-problem-we-all-live-with" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.thisamericanlife.org&#x2F;radio-archives&#x2F;episode&#x2F;562&#x2F;t...</a><p>[1] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.thisamericanlife.org&#x2F;radio-archives&#x2F;episode&#x2F;563&#x2F;the-problem-we-all-live-with-part-two" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.thisamericanlife.org&#x2F;radio-archives&#x2F;episode&#x2F;563&#x2F;t...</a><p>[2] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.thisamericanlife.org&#x2F;radio-archives&#x2F;episode&#x2F;512&#x2F;house-rules" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.thisamericanlife.org&#x2F;radio-archives&#x2F;episode&#x2F;512&#x2F;h...</a><p>Significantly, on how redlining contributed to the achievement gap. The heartbreaking story of why a girl who wants to go to school down the road is turned away.<p>[3] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.thisamericanlife.org&#x2F;radio-archives&#x2F;episode&#x2F;534&#x2F;a-not-so-simple-majority" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.thisamericanlife.org&#x2F;radio-archives&#x2F;episode&#x2F;534&#x2F;a...</a><p>A description of another poor high school where the kids basically have recess, lunch, or permanent substitutes all day, because it&#x27;s failed by local control.