Why are we spending $56 billion a year for the Department of Education?

Question

Jimmy Carter created this worthless department. Can anyone say that public education has improved since 1979?

What a waste of money. We can use this money to make more tanks and guns to fight the Islamo Facists!

Let local governments pay for education like the old days when education worked in this country. Before the Unions and Democrats wrecked it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/budget06/budget06Agencies.html

Answer 1

Let's not cut education spending before you learn how to spell "fascists".

Answer 2

Seems about right. We spend 10X that on the military...so we really don't need it to go to the military. They have plenty already.

Public education seems to work pretty well from my vantage point. My kids have been in Public schools in Iowa, Tennessee and now Oklahoma. And I don't have any complaints.

I really don't know where the data comes from for the continual beating the Public Schools take in this country.

You know education is a 50/50 proposition. The schools have 50% of the responsibility and guess what the parents and students themselves have the other 50%.

Education is like everything else. You get back what you put it into. And you know...not everyone is a genius or is going to be made into one as a result of education.

You know...it's too bad you folks don't hold the government to the same level of scrutiny that you do the Public Education System in this country.

Answer 3

With all the waste in government spending your worried about a petty $56 billion for an imperative cause. Right now educating the young is the most important thing this country has going for it's future. The industrial base is disapearing in this country and will continue to do so because of NAFTA. If we want to maintain our std. of living we need to increase our tech. base. Unless you want to make min. wage in an industrial based economy. I think they should stop fighting a fabricated overinflated pointless war and invest all that money into our educational system so that people like you in the future will have a clue as to what the hell their talking about.

In case you were wondering I'm an Engineer not a teacher.

Answer 4

Know why public education hasn't improved? Because there's no good system of allocation. Certain schools now have more money than they can spend, while others don't even have enough to get by. And you wonder why schools nationwide are declining?!
Islamo Fascists...that's a new one on me. Wasn't aware anyone who is a part of the Islamic religion was a fascist. I'm sure we need more tanks and guns to fight them, and while we're at it, lets add another 200 billion dollars to the military budget. Because obviously, since education's less important than fighting a supposed group of people who no one seems to be able to locate, that money should go into fighting other insurgencies.
Yes, lets let local governments fund everything shall we? Lets see how that works out, when governments like California have governors that are incrementally removing money from the college systems, hiking student fees so that those students can go on to graduate into debt. Fantastic that they should have no other support than their local governments. And of course unions are terrible, every worker should be left to their own devices in terms of taking on corporations that lower their wages and benefits. Hell, lets get rid of democrats altogether so that the glorious republicans can take office again, and push our national debt into the tens of trillions.
Beautiful.

Answer 5

There was a Department of Health Education and Welfare before Jimmy Carter made Education a separate department.

Public education is one thing that made America great. In 1980, only 62% of Americans had high school degrees. Now the figure is above 84%.

Answer 6

Look, just because I'm a liberal doesn't mean that I don't think it's wise to examine why and what we're spending money on. I don't think "throwing more money" at something helps.

You do realize that No Child Left Behind, a federal mandate for education was created by Bush, a supposed "conservative".

Every single department of Government should be scaled down and improved but the issue is, people don't want to lose their jobs so they resist change. You have to help those who lose their jobs transition themselves into the private sector of you really want to do away with redudant Government offices.

Reublicans use the same arguement to justify our continued dependence on trees for paper, oil for energy, etc. God forbid we put people out of work. Government doesn't have to spend more money, it has to spend it more wisely. Same thing with this, give tax breaks to companies that transition over to more sustainable goods.

Give incentives to Government employees who save money.

Answer 7

Actually, I've attended school since the 60's and now work in college, and education HAS gotten better in many ways. Ask a class of college freshmen, especially in a community college, how many of their grandparents attended college, and that alone should convince you.

There's definitely room for improvement, but abolishing the DEA probably isn't the best first step. NOR is spending more money on the DoD! If we're still spending $6B/month in Iraq, think of how much education we could've bought by staying out of it.

Answer 8

Education is never a waste, but I will say that the system appears to be producing a lesser product than before this government program took effect.

Answer 9

Actually the greatest setback education ever has been no child left behind,which requires schools to teach students by rote,in order to prepare them for standardized tests,and does not prepare them to think analytically,critically,or in the abstract.

It punishes schools which do not meet it's rigid,unrealistic standards,has been underfunded since its implementation by the very party,the GOP which devised it,in an attempt to force their program of school vouchers,which is nothing more than an attempt to force taxpayers to pay for private,Christian "education',which is an anti-scientific load of crap.

Edit-I'm starting to think you're a satirist.The way you frame your questions really appears as if you think what you're advocating is a load of BS.

Or,you're really unsure of the conservative position,and you're seeking affirmation....

Answer 10

GWB enhanced the Dept. of Education with No Child Left Behind.. after said and done,.. it will only cost another couple billion.
Don't fret.. Neil Bush cashed in with his software company that caters to NCLB and is getting rich off it too.

He's your President.

Answer 11

You have GOT to be kidding me, Penelope!

A "waste of money?" "More tanks and guns?"

I think you've totally lost your mind and contracted some kind of jihad mental disease.

Education comes before arms any day of the week.

And, if you've never been involved in education (as a teacher or administrator) your opinion isn't worth squat.

"Before Unions and Democrats wrecked it?"

Your postings are getting more absurd by the day...