Difference between revisions of "United States Department of Education"
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-Enforces federal laws prohibiting discrimination in programs that receive federal funds.<ref>http://www2.ed.gov/about/what-we-do.html</ref>" | -Enforces federal laws prohibiting discrimination in programs that receive federal funds.<ref>http://www2.ed.gov/about/what-we-do.html</ref>" | ||
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| + | Conservatives critics allege that not only is the mission of the ED unconstitutional, but a waste of the $64 billion the Department spends every year (since local schools and state voters are not only Constitutionally allowed, but in fact better suited, to make decisions regarding their own children's education. <ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2011/assets/budget.pdf</ref> | ||
==Controversies== | ==Controversies== | ||
Revision as of 02:08, September 23, 2010
The United States Department of Education is a US Cabinet-level department involving the topics of schools and education. The current Secretary of Education is Arne Duncan.
Purpose
The mission of the Department of Education, as described on its website, is "to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. It engages in four major types of activities:
-Establishes policies related to federal education funding, administers distribution of funds and monitors their use.
-Collects data and oversees research on America's schools.
-Identifies major issues in education and focuses national attention on them.
-Enforces federal laws prohibiting discrimination in programs that receive federal funds.[1]"
Conservatives critics allege that not only is the mission of the ED unconstitutional, but a waste of the $64 billion the Department spends every year (since local schools and state voters are not only Constitutionally allowed, but in fact better suited, to make decisions regarding their own children's education. [2]
Controversies
Conservative Proposals
Since the Reagan campaign in 1980, Conservatives have proposed numerous policy changes to address the flaws with the American education system. Most involve giving responsibility for education back to the only entity with Constitutional power to legislate on the issue- the states- and abolishing the Department of Education. Unfortunately, like Reagan's pledge to dismantle the Department of Education, liberals in the House of Representitives have been able to block these attempts to enforce the Constitution.[3]
The 1996 GOP Presidential Platform contained the lines:
Our formula is as simple as it is sweeping: The federal government has no constitutional authority to be involved in school curricula or to control jobs in the workplace. That is why we will abolish the Department of Education, end federal meddling in our schools, and promote family choice at all levels of learning.
We therefore call for prompt repeal of the Goals 2000 program and the School-To-Work Act of 1994, which put new federal controls, as well as unfunded mandates, on the States. We further urge that federal attempts to impose outcome- or performance-based education on local schools be ended.[4]
During the Presidency of George W. Bush, the Republican effort to abolish the Department of Education was temporarily halted. Bush massively expanded Federal intrusion into local school districts with No Child Left Behind , a move which dismayed many conservatives. With the advent of the [TEA Party] in 2009-2010, however, the movement has again begun to grow and may in fact gain the power needed to achieve it's goals in the massive TEA Party victories expected in the 2010 Midterm Elections.
