School‑funding as elite dogma

Elite education coverage treats increased school spending as a settled cure for poor outcomes, even when cross‑country and within‑state comparisons (e.g., New York vs Utah, US vs Vietnam) and noisy pandemic data produce mixed evidence. Journalistic and academic gatekeepers then frame modest positive findings as vindication while sidelining contrary analyses. — If true, this durable narrative steers policy (budgeting, accountability) toward spending increments rather than investigating alternative reforms or structural causes of poor educational outcomes.