[Huck]

I agree that Madison is talking about state administration, not Federal. It is my impression that even with the Federal regulations that we now have, public schools are funded mainly through property taxes, collected locally. Isn't that normally the case? If so, the point is that here is Mr. Madison advocating the very same scheme for funding, and also endorsing the concept of collectively funded education. Now, I understand that today the Feds through in money with strings attached, and tru to regulate and mandate etc etc. Isn't that now part of the Bush Edu. Plan? Anyway, as I said in my initial comments, this isn't to say our current system is good. And I indicated how I would like to see it done.

[savedbygrace]

You won't find me defending the Bush education plan. "Strings attached" is putting it mildly. "Federal micro-management" would be closer to the truth.

Stopping the flow of money that goes through D. C. on its way to the schools would go a long way toward solving a lot of the problems in this country today.

Funding by the States, with true local control, and NO NEA control, would be OK with me. I'd probably still be a homeschool advocate, but I doubt I could make as strong an argument as I can today.

The bottom line is: The public schools today are irreparably broken.

[KC Burke]

My understanding is that the Federal contribution is averaging 9%. As that 9% is with strings and voters use of local power keeps school districts on a short rope, none of them have the fiscal independence to turn it down, even if the Boards would be dispositioned to do so.

Likewise, federal regulation, promoted by national union activism, places all sorts of non monetary operating restraints on schools, much like OSHA does on industry.

Looking into Michael Novak's "On Two Wings", we also find that most of the founders saw a generalistic, nominal, "christian" moral education to be one of the driving uses of public education. Dewey disciples have worked to supplant that with his religion: Secular Humanism.