MEASURE OUTPUTS, NOT INPUTS.

America's public schools spend more than $400 billion each year — more than we spend on national defense (even with the War on Terror) and more than all federal domestic programs except Social Security and health-care programs.

For those who argue that the vast sums devoted to public education are insufficient in the face of even larger educational challenges, here's a challenge: Tell the American people how much you think it would cost to produce what you believe is an adequate education. Name the price. Then, once we reach that amount, adjusting for inflation, we can stop the endless calls for spending more.

But we suspect that advocates for increasing spending never will name the price of an adequate education. If they did, the American people would finally become aware of the true price tag — and refuse to pay.

Jay Greene and Marcus Winters discover The Public Schools' Dirty Little Secret

(Hat tip: Joanne Jacobs.)