[Lurking Libertarian]

The GOP platform in 1996 stated: "The Federal government has no constitutional authority to be involved in school curricula or to control jobs in the market place. This is why we will abolish the Department of Education."

Trivia question: Who was the first U.S. President to propose federal aid to public schools in the states? Which provision of the Constitution did he rely on?

Answer: Eisenhower; and he relied on the provision empowering Congress to "raise and support Armies." (The first federal aid to public schools was the "National Defense Education Act," which was claimed to be necessary to provide a population sufficiently educated to overcome Soviet technical accomplishments such as Sputnik).

[knarf]

Well now there's something I never knew.

[Conservative Coulter Fan]

A federal department of education was in the socialist platform in 1912.

[OneWingedShark]

>”National Defense Education Act,”

I have an idea... drop ALL federal funding of public schools EXCEPT specifically for firearms training classes... and the use of “assault rifles” should be encouraged, because they’re being taught as an aide to national defense.

[scrabblehack]

As I recall, when LBJ was in college, his professor asked him to write an essay on the subject. He wrote this big long treatise and his professor returned it as “wrong.” The constitution didn’t say anything about education. So of course he, LBJ, was going to see to it otherwise.

I think the story is in Paul Boller’s Presidential Anecdotes.

[scrabblehack]

As recently as the 1980’s, it was possible to attend college on a National Defense scholarship, and never study one lick of science.

[Puddleglum]

Trivia question: Who was the first U.S. President to propose federal aid to public schools in the states? Which provision of the Constitution did he rely on? Answer: Eisenhower; and he relied on the provision empowering Congress to "raise and support Armies." (The first federal aid to public schools was the "National Defense Education Act," which was claimed to be necessary to provide a population sufficiently educated to overcome Soviet technical accomplishments such as Sputnik).

Very interesting fact - much appreciated