Stephen Downes

This is a crass piece of propaganda that needs to be called out as such. It is written in response to the oft-made argument that private schools drain resources from the existing public school system. James V. Shuls writes, "How would you respond if you stumbled across a headline that asked, 'How much do farmers markets cost Walmart?' It's a ridiculous question." Yes, stated that way, it's ridiculous. But I've often heard it put the other way: how much did Walmart cost the local market? But even that is a stretch, because the local market isn't vital to the well-being of society. Education is. Would you complain about Walmart taking over your local schools? I know I would.