There is a song in “Fiddler on the Roof” that begins with the words “If I were a rich man…” And goes on to describe how the accumulation of wealth makes a person smarter. The richer you get the smarter you are. People respect your opinion if you’re rich. You get extra privileges in society. You become eligible to join the ruling class. Suddenly, you know more about education than anyone else. You want more private and charter schools so parents will have more choices about where to send their kids to school. Never mind that extensive research by unbiased institutions has shown that charter and private schools produce education outcomes no better – and in some cases not as good – as our lowly, underfunded public schools. Could it be that public schools are more likely to be staffed by experienced and dedicated educators who teach for the love of teaching? There are people who really do know what works and what does not work in educating children. We should listen to them, not to the big money reformers.