[lsb]

Feynman actually voiced his frustration over school textbooks, because education was so politicized:

http://www.textbookleague.org/103feyn.htm

And what do you do? Reject those, and choose books that your parent-friends are using? Pay tutors?

(Hey, davetufts, I'm a Jumbo too.)

[jacoblyles]

Public education is politicized because, being public, it is controlled by political institutions. Contrast this with a private service or commodity, like grocery stores. Nobody lobbies for which food items will be carried in grocery stores, rather the stores respond to the will of their customers.

[tokenadult]

And that is true even if some low-income customers shop with food stamps ("food vouchers").