Public Schools

Mark Neubauer’s comments regarding education in Los Angeles County (“None Dare Call Year-Round ‘Racist,’ ” Op-Ed Page, Feb. 14) circumvent the real problems facing public education. Parents want the best for their children, and public education is failing to adequately teach them. Nothing is accomplished by calling people racists because they send their children to private schools. Some do so because of religion, which is discouraged in public schools. The problem is not racism, nor is it funding.

The United States already ranks second in education spending per student in the world, roughly $4,000. Other countries have been able to better educate their children with far less. Priorities seem misguided when an estimated 50% of the money we spend on education is on indirect administrative costs. Money is to be used on education, not administration.

Private and parochial schools make education available to as many needy students as their limited budgets allow. Perhaps the public school systems should ask themselves what private schools offer to parents and students that makes them attractive. It is unproductive to attack those who make a costly choice to pay for public education and pay again to send their children to private schools for a quality education. School districts might ask themselves how they can better use public funds to make their school environment more desirable.

REP. DAVID DREIER

R-La Verne