Michelle Bachmann is being labelled a crazy lady again, this time for having the audacity to suggest that we eliminate the Department of Education (DoE). The left can’t stand the idea, which means she’s exactly right. I included this hindrance of a program in an article earlier this year when it was just a $50B program. I’m thankful that Bachmann has brought the idea into the spotlight, allow me to state some facts that will surely cause liberal skulls to explode. Everyone does not have a right to a college degree. Every child does not need to graduate from college. The world needs plumbers, cabinet makers, assembly line workers, electricians, gardeners, truck drivers and cashiers just as much as it needs 2o-somethings with useless degrees.
When Jimmy Carter created the Department of Education, he said the following:
“…the Federal Government has for too long failed to play its own supporting role in education as effectively as it could. Instead of assisting school officials at the local level, it has too often added to their burden. Instead of setting a strong administrative model, the Federal structure has contributed to bureaucratic buck passing. Instead of simulating needed debate of educational issues, the Federal Government has confused its role of junior partner in American education with that of silent partner.”
For starters let’s list what the DoE says it does not do:
- establish schools and colleges;
- develop curricula;
- set requirements for enrollment and graduation;
- determine state education standards; or
- develop or implement testing to measure whether states are meeting their education standards.
President Obama requested $69.9 billion for the DoE in 2012. That’s a lot of coin, so it is important to understand exactly what the DoE does. According to the DoE itself:
“The U.S. Department of Education is the agency of the federal government that establishes policy for, administers and coordinates most federal assistance to education. It assists the president in executing his education policies for the nation and in implementing laws enacted by Congress. The Department’s mission is to serve America’s students—to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.”
Let’s break that down:
- “establishes policy for, administers and coordinates most federal assistance to education.” In other words, it creates federal policies and spends tax payer dollars to help with state-owned responsibilities.
- “assists the president in executing his education policies for the nation and in implementing laws enacted by Congress” In other words, it supports the president with getting his message out.
- “promote student achievement” In other words, its a cheerleading organization.
- “fostering educational excellence” In other words, its a cheerleading organization.
- “ensuring equal access” In other words, it makes sure everyone is being treated fairly.
The DoE was originally made up of 15 different departments and had four main goals when it was created in 1979 (note: it now has about 4,200 employees and 29 different departments). Here are the original goals from 1979:
- To establish policies relating to financial aid for education, to administer distribution for these funds, and to monitor their use.
- To collect data and oversee research on America’s schools and disseminate this information to the public.
- To identify major issues and problems in education and to focus atttention to these problems.
- To enforce federal statutes prohibiting discrimination in programs and activities receiving federal funds and to ensure equal access to education.
- Establishing policies on federal financial aid for education, and distributing as well as monitoring those funds.
- Collecting data on America’s schools and disseminating research.
- Focusing national attention on key educational issues.
- Prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education.
What in any of the lists above merits the spending of $69.9 billion dollars? What in the list above cannot be accomplished by the states themselves? This department exists to spend tax dollars, collect data, let people know that education is important and makes sure that everyone is treated fairly. Nearly $70 billion this year? I see no reason to spend this amount of money on what is nothing more than a duplication of state effort at a national scale. We can’t even call it central planning because there are no actual directives being sent down to the states. It’s just a massive marketing campaign.
But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe the past 30 years of messaging have been valuable. Let’s look at standardized test scores to see if there has been an increase thanks to big government stepping in to help out.
- 1980 Mean SAT scores: 502 reading, 492 math
- 2010 Mean SAT scores: 501 reading, 516 math
So, in thirty years we have seen an increase in math scores of 5% and no increase in reading. How much have tax payers spent over the past 30 years for this outcome? A whopping $1.16 trillion, or about $37 billion per year. Putting this a different way, there are 64 million primary/secondary students in America. The government is spending $1,092 dollars per student (on top of what states are spending) for what exactly? In my opinion Michelle Bachmann is right. In my opinion this department needs to be eliminated and the 4200 employees currently at the DoE can find work elsewhere. Maybe ACORN is hiring?
Here’s a video that I think sums up the concept of big government in education. Feel free to share.
Sometimes things are too easy. I watched last Friday’s episode of Glenn Beck with my wife and we both felt it was worth sharing with as many people as possible. I’ve posted links to all six segments (scroll down for them). I also posted on Facebook and asked my liberal friends (of whom I have many) to tell me what they disagreed with. Take a few minutes to watch it yourself, then continue reading below.
What were the responses I received?
- This tool is so far gone I could fill up facebook boxes for days.
- We teach respect for beliefs of others and not to be afraid of opposing ideas. To search for their own truth, so that they can be happy as adults. This is what Glenn Beck fears. Not some ideological indoctrination. He is so full of fear it radiates off the screen. He surely lives a sad life, despite his relative success.
- Sounds like Glenn Beck wants to indoctrinate the children with extreme right wing Christian ideologies, so that when they grow up they can do battle with their indoctrinated extreme right wing Muslim enemies!
- I really like the edited children segments and the very earnest way GB tries to come across as he tells you not to let your children listen to anything other than what I want you to tell them. At least that’s what I got out of this. I’m more of a ‘talk to your children presenting each angle objectively so they can form their own opinion’ kind of guy.
- Glenn Beck is a lying bastard….Like Goebells of Nazi Germany fame he’s trying to gin up hatred to a mentally challenged segment of our population (aka anyone who listens to this fat pig bastard) so they will make an attempt on my presidents life. And for that…I spit in his ugly retarded face.
Hmm. From these comments you might be led to believe that Beck is telling people to only believe his viewpoint, or to only consider the Conservative viewpoint. You might think that Beck is spewing anti-liberal hatred and lies about the left. Funny thing though, Beck actually makes some of the same points as those who hate him make. Here are a few quotes from the video:
- “There is an effort to indoctrinate our children. Most of us are too busy to notice.”
- “Give my child the facts on both sides. Teach them how to think, how to find the answers for themselves. Stop indoctrinating.”
- “I want to have these discussions [with my kids], but not at the behest of some covert plan.”
- “I do agree with them on one thing. Our educational system is failing them. But, if you as a parent do not fill that void, Obama’s propaganda-filled friends will fill it.”
Wow. That Glenn Beck sure is a radical neo-con freak. How did my liberal friends miss that point?
Now let’s take a look at what crazy tinfoil hat evidence Beck used to support his freakish beliefs. Here are a few of the talking points from one of the videos he showed:
- Al Gore is asking kids educate their parents. A video was shown with a high school kid saying “after 2004 I was furious” and that parents “need to do something different.”
- Another video example included a middle school girl saying to her parents about the debates: “We really think that what Obama/Biden said about energy is really important, we need to fix that now before it is too late.”
What exactly were you “furious” about son? The fact that Al Gore lost, or the fact that four years ago when you were 12 you missed an episode of Sponge Bob due to election coverage? What are you basing your opinion on, little Missy, when it comes to the Obama/Biden energy plan? Was it something about fake manmade global warming, or was it the debate between Obama and Biden over the right opinion on clean coal?
I’m not surprised at the responses I received, but I am saddened by them because despite the fact that Beck clearly delivered a serious concern with quotes and videos to support his stance, the message was ignored only because of who was delivering it. If I played a video of David Axelrod or Michelle Obama expressing the exact same words I bet I would have received completely different responses.
And believe me, some of the comments above are from people that I know are well-educated. But personal bias or some other subconscious factor keeps them from at least acknowledging that Glenn Beck might be right about something. I’m not searching for agreement, I am trying to educate people.
Unfortunately, until the press gets with the program and starts researching both political teams equally and holding themselves and politicians to actual standards, I feel that America is screwed. The successful election of Barack Obama is one example of how utterly clueless our population is. Some are simply ignorant about the issues while others are willfully defiant to the truth and voted based on race or hatred. The left viewed the ballot through kool-aid colored glasses and ignored the oh so many talking points that conservatives shouted while being mocked by a complicit media industry. How’s that Hope and Change workin’ out for ya now?
And, if you are a lefty that thinks I’m a lifelong diehard neo-con, you would be wrong. I used to be a left-of-center liberal. But I eventually grew up. I voted for Bill Clinton in both of his elections. Unlike so many people out there I actually give a crap about the issues and vote based on my understanding of them and how they apply to my life. I don’t just pull the lever for a party, I look at the candidates. But sadly I am the exception to the rule. Too many people base their votes on the wrong priorities, if any actual priorities at all. Voting is a privilege that should be cherished, not abused. But even the thought of requiring a qualification test for voters to pass is too radical for the radical left. Why? Because it would somehow make things unfair. Truth be damned, to hell with the facts. (I’ll save the topic for another day.)
Please spread the video around. As Glenn said, if there is a void our government will fill it. Our public education system is a massive void and our government, led by a leftist surrounded by leftist radicals is sweeping in to fill this void. If you do nothing now you will be unable to do something later.
