After the Collapse of Public Schools is the fourth in a series of books Richard Neal has written on the subject of freedom of choice in education. It is the culmination of many years of research and experience and covers topics not included in the author's previous books. The key lessons revealed in this book are: The government's interest in education can be satisfied while simultaneously allowing maximum freedom of choice for all families. Without certain essential prerequisites in place, there can be no true freedom of choice. There are powerful lobbies in The Education Establishment that willfully resist change. To them, freedom is the enemy. Many obstacles are in the way of freedom of choice, most of which are contrived to perpetuate the status quo. Striking differences exist between "education" in government schools and meaningful learning under freedom of choice True freedom in education unleashes a bounty of new learning opportunities not possible in government schools. The dominance of the government monopoly in education is coming to an end as competition is allowed to flourish. Technology is becoming an unstoppable force in releasing students from compulsory attendance (incarceration?) in government schools. Revealed in this book are the fundamental guiding principles for effective learning, most of which are not possible in public schools. This book provides a unique forecast of what education will be like After the Collapse of Public Schools.

Large segments of the American public school system have been failing for decades, and the pace of failure is accelerating - thanks largely to the entrenched education establishment and teacher unions. This book provides a panoramic view of these failures, as well as an analysis of the failed attempts to improve public education. The author brings to bear his extensive experiences within the government school system to expose how public education, for millions of students, has been a failure by every meaningful measure. Achievement, as measured by test scores, has been stagnant for years. The student dropout rate remains shockingly high. Many high school graduates are not prepared either for continuing education or meaningful employment. Hordes of unassimilated immigrants are clogging the education process for many of their classmates. Student misbehavior continues unabated. Millions of students desert the public schools yearly for home-schooling and other more valuable education experiences. All of the politically correct and conventional attempts to save the failing public schools have failed. Dumping more money on problems seems to create more problems. Federal "aid" has been unproductive and inserted the federal government further into public education without any constitutional authority. The constant increases in teacher salaries based on the universal "salary grid" have had no positive impact on student learning. Billions of dollars have been spent on reduction in class size with no benefit to education. The requirements for teacher certification have become more demanding, but with little benefit, if any, on student learning. School districts and schools have grown bigger in a futile attempt to improve education, causing more harm than good. While the public thinks that if a school is "accredited" it must be good, in reality, school accreditation is nothing more than certification of a failed system. After reading this encyclopedia of failed attempts to st

For many parents in many communities, the public schools are failures. This book identifies and discusses the root causes of this failure and offers specific remedies. The public schools are extremely resistant to improvements because of the powerful Education Establishment, composed of entrenched teacher unions and school educrats and pandering politicians. The book discusses all of the reasons that a monolithic and monopolistic school system cannot meet the pluralistic needs of all children through a one-size-fits-all model. The author explains why more money is not the answer, how monopoly union bargaining has damaged the schools, and how over-regulation has destroyed all hope of meaningful improvements. The author exposes the myth that teachers are overworked and underpaid, shows why it is almost impossible to fire incompetent teachers, and provides reasons why merit pay is not the answer. The author concludes that the only solution to the failing government schools is through the introduction of school choice without double taxation. This would put education back where it belongs - in the hands of parents. The author cautions, however, that any plan that keeps the government in charge of choices is doomed to fail. The transition to choice will not be easy, because it will be met with the full fury of The Education Establishment.