Krugman equals quality because he has done his homework & doesn't write anything without having a sound basis for what he offers. Of course, this is all too obvious & correct. Education isn't a priority for people who are obsessed with ideology, religion, personal wealth, or a political career, regardless of who suffers or damage to the common good. I see a whole raft of issues relative to education that go far beyond the notion of priorities & funding. We aren't even close to changing how we treat children & learning & teachers. But it would be nice to stop regressing, as Krugman suggests here, so that people could begin to examine how to actually make progress.