How should we fund education?

also reading tonight:
John Adams, writing to John Jebb in 1785:

In their Educations. the Whole People must take [upon] themselves the Education of the Whole People and must be willing to bear the expenses of it. There should not be a district of one Mile square without a school in it, not founded by a Charitable individual but maintained at the expense of the People themselves

 And why?

...they must be taught to reverence themselves instead of adoring their servants, their Generals, Admirals, Bishops and Statesmen—Instead of Admiring so extravegantly a Prince of Orange, we Should admire the Botavian Nation which produced him. Instead of Adoring a Washington, Mankind should applaud the Nation which Educated him.