In his latest film "Where to Invade Next?" the filmmaker Michael Moore asks Finnish students and their teacher where Helsinki's best schools are located; he receives blank stares. A teacher finally enlightens Moore that in Finland all schools are the same, which means equally good. (Finnish student performance usually ranks #1 in international comparisons). No need for parents to shop around for schools before buying or renting a house or apartment. If the schools are equal it should follow that the differences between the Helsinki neighborhoods would also not be nearly as stark as, say, Baltimore, where life expectancy varies as much as 10 years within a few miles. Finnish schools, not being dependent on property taxes, don't have to rise and fall with their surrounding community.

By contrast, in the US the fate of schools and the community are intertwined on many levels. One of them financial. The denser and the poorer a community, the less money per student that can be raised through....For Full Article Click Below