SweetSue92
Diamond Member
That’s because we have a governmental department of education. You cannot have governmental interference which is Apolitical...We seem to be muddling through, but I believe we can do better. There is too much political influence in education, and there's nothing to be done about it--all the way down to the local school board, there can be total catastrophes done to a school's action plan.Although the Department is a relative newcomer among Cabinet-level agencies, its origins goes back to 1867, when President Andrew Johnson signed legislation creating the first Department of Education. Its main purpose was to collect information and statistics about the nation's schools. However, due to concern that the Department would exercise too much control over local schools, the new Department was demoted to an Office of Education in 1868.Comparing it to other nations is not a great tool for measuring success.Someone do some research. The Department of Education was created under the "great" President jimmy carter in 1979 (I believe.)
Since that dept was created, how has the education in this country ranked in the world with grade school and high school ages?
The purpose of education is not to out do Germany or the UK or whoever.
We should look at how well education worked in this nation before the department was created and how it has done since.
Over the years, the office remained relatively small, operating under different titles and housed in various agencies, including the U.S. Department of the Interior and the former U.S. Department of Health Education and Welfare (now Health and Human Services).
Beginning in the 1950s, political and social changes resulted in expanded federal funding for education. The successful launch of the Soviet Union's Sputnik in 1957 spurred nationwide concern that led to increased aid for science education programs. The 1960s saw even more expansion of federal education funding: President Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty" called for the creation of many programs to improve education for poor students at all levels—early childhood through postsecondary. This expansion continued in the 1970s with national efforts to help racial minorities, women, people with disabilities and non-English speaking students gain equal access to education. In October 1979, Congress passed the Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88). Created by combining offices from several federal agencies, the Department began operations in May 1980.
In the 1860s, a budget of $15,000 and four employees handled education fact-finding. By 1965, the Office of Education had more than 2,100 employees and a budget of $1.5 billion. As of mid-2010, the Department has nearly 4,300 employees and a budget of about $60 billion.
An Overview of the U.S. Department of Education-- Pg 1
Essentially, the problem is that public education is being tasked with too much; the costly, specialized programs for children with special needs and being expected to overcome community influences in poor, crime ridden communities as if they didn't exist are two of those expectations no one institution can accomplish alone.
This.
And then, blame the teachers when the job doesn't get done. See: teacher shortage. No one can do this.
Just one more nail in the coffin of our society, I'm convinced of that.
People who make decisions on schools and education should be educators, I believe. Teachers don't go into it for the money or the glory; they do it to help kids and they are well trained these days and all of them are compelled to stay current with Continuing Education in order to renew their certification.
The Dept of Ed is useless and beyond useless, it is actually detrimental. And unconstitutional. Tenth Amendment, should be left to the states and the local school board.