Spending on public schools in the U.S. exceeds that of any other country on earth. Since 1970, teacher salaries have grown 18 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars, while teacher-faculty ratios have declined by one-fourth. During the 1960s and '70s, federal aid to education rose by 83 percent, and federal aid doubled as a proportion of the nation's total education budget. As expenditures rose, however, student performance declined precipitously.

If money were the solution, America's schools would be the best in the world. In fact, American public school students ranked 19th out of 20 countries in international achievement tests (nudging out Jordan), although American students did excel in "self-esteem" and the number of hours watching TV.

In the U.S., a study has shown that Iowa, which ranked No. 1 in the nation in SAT scores, ranked 27th in per-capita student expenditures. Utah, which ranked dead last among the states in per capita expenditures, finished 4th in test scores. Harrison, Ark., which spent less than one-third as much per student as New Jersey, ranked in the top 5 percent in student performance. ,

In Japan, where public schools students consistently finish first or second in international tests, per-student expenditure is about a third of that in the U.S., despite a higher cost of living. It is not unusual for classes to have 40-45 students. To reduce expenses, students are routinely asked to perform janitorial functions that would be considered beneath the dignity of U.S. students. Japanese students are issued cheap paperback books costing about a dollar or less. Such amenities as counselors, cafeterias and carpets considered to be necessities in American schools have been described as nonessential in Japanese schools. Even school libraries are poorly stocked. The average Japanese would simply be overwhelmed with the facilities in U.S. public schools.

There is no secret, however, why Japanese students rank so high on international tests, while lavishly equipped American counterparts struggle. Students are exposed to a rigorous but basic curriculum of math, science, literature, history, geography and language skills. In the U.S., the bureaucracy has consistently resisted a back-to-the basics curriculum, and instead softer subjects.

The problem with our public schools is not lack of money. Rather, the problem is that our public schools refuse to grant authority to teachers to discipline students or to protect innocent students from disruptive ones. The Model School Disciplinary Code issued by Harvard University, which is purportedly based on principles of "due process," states that no serious disciplinary action can be taken against any public school student unless that student is provided with "due process." Not surprisingly, discipline in the public schools has become problematic and impractical. A public school student now has a 5 percent chance of being harmed by a deadly weapon.

A study conduced by the U.S. Office of Education concluded that private schools enjoyed one great advantage over public schools - namely a lack of funding. One student of that study has observed that with less money, private schools "retain a traditional curriculum and academic structure that have fallen victim to pop trends and political pressure in public schools ... and thus elicit greater achievement, even from students with comparable family and socioeconomic backgrounds."

In short, what private school parents are paying for is not better resources, or higher-paid teachers (in fact, teachers are paid less in private schools). Rather, what they are paying for is a safe learning environment for their children.

What our public schools need is not more money, but a re-ordering of priorities and the institution of the disciplinary measures used by private schools to provide a safe learning environment, slashing of the unnecessary and wasteful bureaucracy and return of authority to teachers.

Devoting more property tax revenues will only increase the monthly payments of Colorado homeowners and increase our already devastating foreclosure rates, especially among the poor. The one thing it will not do is improve our public schools.