We're no longer viewed as anti-education. Now its time to reshape the debate on our terms and say OK if we're going to have a federal role in education at all, lets demand real accountability from our schools. We've already signed onto the federal presence in education, which has historically been a state and local responsibility, so we might as well take the next step and differentiate ourselves from the Rats by making it clear we're not just here to provide handouts from Washington. We want states and local communities to be partners not just recipients of federal aid and that means taking responsibility to ensure our kids learn their ABC's and become prepared to become patriotic, moral, and productive members of our society.
At $480.00 per student, paid over a five year period, this education bill is the largest ever. If you think 96 bucks a year filtered through bureaucrats will make a difference, you are sadly mistaken.
What is not mentioned is how much per student this education bill will cost your school district to implement. I dare say that textbooks, curriculum, smaller classrooms, teachers, and teacher's unions will spend far more than 96 dollars a year to assure their schools qualify for the federal endowment.
This is a Democrat's best possible plan for education. Spend more at the federal level than ever before, require local goverments to spend more to grab the dangling carrot, and then grab more control and spend more money after the paltry sum changes nothing.
But it is OK! This time the Republicans really, really care about education! Strategery!!