I get into that briefly in the very last section. yes, the "enrollment slope" (not really a cliff) will be a challenge for less-selective colleges

just grants and scholarships, not loans

thanks—it's good to be back!

I don't quite agree because comparisons between salary and working conditions are inherently tricky since they don't share a unit of analysis—but you make the best case there is and I certainly agree that working conditions matter.

I don't agree that working conditions are more important than pay (these things are very difficult to compare) but it is true at some margin teachers prefer more support staff than higher salaries. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/...

that's so kind—thank you!

you may be right, but I think that will be easier said than done since so much of schooling is now completed and supported by digital devices

I think that's partially right, but if anything the empirical evidence suggests unions limit this trend from being even more extreme edworkingpapers.com/sites/defaul...

exactly and many schools of choice actively market their small classes/staffing ratios. this trend appears to be a market response—which doesn't necessarily mean it's optimal!—as much as anything else.

it's also notable that the same trend (greater investment in people than salaries) show up in private schools. for better or worse this may reflect schools' response to what parents want.

what is the evidence that higher salaries are a better investment than more people? I think the research is mixed and unclear here. See eg www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

thank you for the kinds words and for reading!

appreciate it!

Thank you! Happy to be back.