[onewhippedpuppy]

You can always take matters into your own hands and put your kids in a private school. In my case the public schools in Wichita are terrible (suburbs are good), so my wife and I elected to put our kids in our parish catholic school. Their academics are top notch, as are their graduation rates and percentage of kids that go on to attend college. No federal funding means they can create their own logical policy, not pander to the lowest common denominator. If your kid screws up too badly they can throw his ass out, and the teachers are still in charge of the classrooms. Best of all, because they believe that "it takes a village to raise a child", the school is paid for out of the parish tithing. Parents are asked to pay what they can.

Ultimately I didn't want the government to dictate the quality of my children's education.