The first step in moving America’s schools forward is to repeal the No Child Left Behind program. That program has been an enormous unfunded mandate on our teachers and schools. However, a lack of money is not the problem with our education system. The money is being spent in the wrong way.
Consider this chart on education spending:
The second step would be to shift much more control to local school districts and away from Washington, D.C. With 5,000 employees and growing, the Department of Education is fast becoming part of the problem, not part of the solution. We should remember that teachers, not government bureaucrats, know best how to educate our children.
I do not support closing the Department of Education, however. I believe that agency can truly help by instituting national standards for history, math, and science education. I also support national teacher certification so that we don’t lose teachers who move to a new state.
Spending on education represents more than half of our state budget. It represents a very small portion of the federal budget. Therefore, since states are forced to put education at the top of their priority list. The federal government should give them much, much more control.