Posted on 07/11/2004 11:55:56 AM PDT by wagglebee
Since the 1965 passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which concentrated unprecedented authority over American education in the hands of the federal government, federal lawmakers have passed increasingly restrictive laws and drastically escalated education spending, which ballooned from around $25 billion in 1965 (adjusted for inflation) to more than $108 billion in 2002.
For many years that phenomenon appeared to be of little concern at the state and local level. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, however, that seems to be changing—citizens and policymakers are aggravated by the law's dictates, and a revolt against federal control of education is brewing. Of course, states can refuse their share of billions of federal education dollars and thereby avoid having to adhere to federal regulations, but turning down the money is difficult, especially since the federal government took the money out of state taxpayers' pockets in the first place.
And it's not just state unrest that's calling federal control of education into question: Despite the huge infusion of federal cash and the near tripling of overall per pupil funding since 1965, national academic performance has not improved. Math and reading scores have stagnated, graduation rates have flatlined, and researchers have shown numerous billion-dollar federal programs to be failures.
Both state unrest and academic failure necessitate an examination of federal spending on education. States must decide if the benefits of federal funding outweigh the costs of complying with federal rules, and the nation as a whole must determine if the federal presence in American education should continue at all.
The answers, fortunately, are not elusive. Even when projects are measured against the Department of Education's own mission statement, it is clear that federal dollars are going to projects that should not be receiving them. More important, when evaluated using academic results, the strictures of the Constitution, and plain common sense, almost no federal funding is justified. For all those reasons, the federal government should withdraw from its involvement in education and return control to parents, local governments, and the states.
And this spending is after adjustment for inflation. The federal government has no business being involved in education, they are destroying it.
Maybe we should be demanding vouchers for States who 'opt out'.
The school system sucks so bad it needs to be pulled out by its roots. If ever a Federal program has failed, it is the education system. Give the money to the parents (vouchers) and let them decide what school will get the money. That way good schools will get the money, and bad schools will say to themselves "do what they are doing or we die" and the whole process of improved schools will begin.
The problem is, because everyones tax-burden differs, the 'coupons' will have 'racist' face values.
Correction: 'racist/classist' face values.
Every federal subsidy for students goes, in large part, to pay for increases in tuition.
It goes to overstaffed administrations, buying out superintendent contracts, laptops, cell phones, cars, etc for the administrators. The school districts are so top heavy in their funding areas, it's downright disgraceful. I wonder how many people realize that their tax dollars are going for things that most people pay for out of their own pocket?
Just compare the per pupil budget of any good Catholic school with the per pupil spending of government schools.
So what? How about abolishing public education per se? You want it - you pay for it, or find some charitable soul or organization to foot your bill.
I'm just saying.... I don't think it'll fly due to the race-class pimps.
Education ping...
Just compare the per pupil budget of any good Catholic school with the per pupil spending of government schools.
You are right on the money. I cannot understand how these whoring superintendents get away with their scams year after year. Each superintendent stays one or two years, then moves on to another state for a more lucrative contract. In the meantime, NOTHING IS IMPROVING AND MORE TAXPAYER MONEY IS DEMANDED FOR EDUCATION EVERY YEAR. Disgusting.
"So what? How about abolishing public education per se? You want it - you pay for it, or find some charitable soul or organization to foot your bill."
At one time, public education under local control worked reasonably well but the end of reason came when the Federal government got involved. Wasn't it Richard Nixon who first started this "federal aid to education"? We all know that when the national government "aids" something they destroy it.
Thanks, and a bump to the top
I think you are on to something. I'd like to see the admin to education ratio of a good school compared to a poor school. If my theory holds we would probably find that the poor schools have a admin heavy ratio compared to successful schools regardless of the ammount spent.
Yes, I nostalgically remember *Republicans* wanting to defund and close the Department of Education. Instead, now we have Republicans voting for No Child Left Behind, the biggest Federal education debacle *ever.*
Oh, wonderful, another entitlement program to be paid for by whom? State taxpayers? Thank goodness I live in a state where tax increases have to be put before a referendum.
And classist, as you pointed out. Middle-class people will *never* see vouchers. They are a needs-based entitlement program. The financial burden on the middle class will come triply if vouchers are enacted: taxes for the local schools; private school tuitions paid by the middle class; extra taxes for the voucher students.
I think it should be illegal for the Fed's to use purse strings to force states to comply in areas where the Fed does not have authority to regulate directly.
It goes where Federal funds go. States get a lot and some contractors get the rest. Then the funds are distributed to the communities through unlicensed secondary businesses--private clubs, escort services, construction contracts, chemical and biological enhancement products.
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