Expensive Education

People take things for granted when they're going well. I'm no exception. I've known for a long time that I got a good education from the district where I attended high school, but it didn't occur to me until recently how good I had it. Turns out that Midland Park's public schools are better funded then the vast majority of private schools in this country. How do I know this? The numbers are published on the internet. New Jersey, in pursuit of the highest form of capitalism (i.e. open and transparent), doesn't try to hide the value of education. As a result, you can click that link and select:

• (a) County: Bergen
• (b) District: Midland Park Borough
• (c) School: Midland Park H.S.

I'm not going to specifically call out which teachers had the opportunity to educate me, but a significant percentage of these individuals are making six figures. During a conversation I was listening to between a couple of people I know who teach in public high schools, I interjected to make the point that my high school teachers earn over $100,000. I was met with blank stares.

"How is that possible?" they asked. "High taxes," I responded. But I think it's worth it. Currently my mom is struggling to repay the mortgage on her house in that town because taxes are so high, but for the sheer value of living within 2 blocks of one of the best K-12 districts in the country I'd never let her sell to take the gift of education away from either mine or my little sister's future children.