Though these sorts of statistics are thrown around frequently, every now and again one jumps out and slaps me in the face with reality.

It is not news to me that money is not our primary problem public education these days. Still, sometimes you just need to see the numbers to drive the point home. (I found these in Rebecca Hagelin's column today, which in turn came from the Heritage Foundation.)

If you ever needed any more proof that education spending does not equate to a good education, this is it: the Washington D.C. school system is the worst school system in the country by any measure you want to use. And the Washington D.C. school system spends $11,009 per pupil per year. $11,009.

If you can't properly educate a kid on half that, you simply can't educate. And all the money in the world isn't going to make you a better educator.