I'll start, I missed the outdoor cats struggle session so i don't know what its deal was except a vague idea that outdoor cats were bad, so I've let my two cats stay being outdoor cats because I feel bad locking them inside, like I want to give them some experience of freedom to go where they please so they can live more fulfilling lives
Edit: also kruschev is imo a lot better than most hexbear users give him credit for
Children need to be socialized, educated, and cared for. Objectively our instruction of school don't accomplish this. I am not an expert in the field. However, all the literature I have ever read concludes that you wouldn't expect a system that looks like ours to get any of that done. So I don't actually know what the correct answer would be. You are right it is better for tax dollars to go to schools instead of cops. However looking at municipal budgets, we don't do that either. So the system is a failure in every possible way.
I think one issue is you are looking at schools as a monolith which of course has deep systemic and systematic problems. But schools can vary hugely in the quality of education. I'm not just talking about the difference between rural Alabama vs suburban California, even schools in the same district can vary a lot in quality of education delivered.
Calling the system a failure in every way is extreme to the point of being meaningless. Students do still learn how to read and write, basic maths and science, basic history. Obviously those are biased, especially history, but consider what would happen if there were no public schools even flawed as they might be. Children would literally be taught that the Earth is 3000 years old, Adam and Eve were the first humans, and in Utah that Native Americans were a Jewish tribe that had their skin turned red because of their sin.
There are shitty and abusive teachers out there, but I genuinely believe that most are in it to help children and are handcuffed by the system. And many, many teachers do their best to educate within the limitations of that system.
Cutting cops budgets tomorrow would immediately help people. Cutting school budgets would immediately make things worse for children. I urge you to rethink your position. We shouldn't eliminate hospitals because the healthcare is shit.