The Reform That's Most Needed In Education: Get The Federal Government OUT OF IT!

I've posted many blogs about the sorry state of our education system. I've given you facts to back up how it has failed miserably ever since the federal Department of Education was created for the express purpose of making it better. The facts prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that just pouring money into our bureaucracies won't make education better (although it obviously needs sufficient funding).

That's one of the big problems with government welfare programs. The more 'Uncle' does FOR you, the less YOU are properly motivated to take care of business. What has putting the federal government in charge of education done for our country? The poorest-educated kids among all developed countries.

If you don't believe what I've been telling you based on the facts, will you believe The Heritage Foundation based on the same facts? Check this out:
http://blog.heritage.org/2011/03/15/morning-bell-no-bureaucrat-left-behind/

Oh, you say, things are different now that we have a real reformer in the White House? His "Race To The Top (RttT)" education reform program will fix it! Well, guess what? It's headed off in the same lousy direction as every education reform program preceeding it. Check this out:
http://blog.heritage.org/2010/08/27/morning-bell-secretary-duncans-race-to-waste-your-education-dollars/

Here's what I've been saying for years that we need instead of more federal bureaucracy that has proved(!) it has made it far worse, not better:

1. More accountability and discipline at the local school level in order of importance: students, teachers and school administrators.
2. More authority at the classroom level. We require teachers be the best educated then state and federal governments tell them what they can and cannot do.
3. More responsibility, accountability, boundaries, and consequences on students who aren't doing well in school. Kids must know (because their parents are proactively holding them accountable!) that learning the material at school is their responsibility, not anyone else's.
4. More involvement in their kids' education by parents. Student improvement and success BEGIN in the home. Too many parents think it is mostly the schools' responsibility to ensure kids become well-educated. That is so wrong. And it is so irresponsible. In case you haven't noticed, we've just spent the better part of 30 years and Billions of dollars proving that approach doesn't work!
5. Eliminate the federal Department of Education. Any organization that has failed this badly (ie, stagnant test scores) for over 30 years(!) and has led our country's education during that time from the best in the world to the worst among developed countries 'deserves' only one thing: extinction. In fact, doing this will go a long way toward accomplishing (ie, forcing to happen) reforms 1 through 4 above.
6. Drive the costs down so that most of the spending is at the classroom level. Education now consumes about half of all state spending. It's not that we can't afford proper education but we certainly cannot afford this level of mediocrity! Eliminating bureaucracy and driving authority and responsibility back down to the local level via steps 1 through 5 will accomplish most of this.

Fyi, here's a link to more of The Heritage Foundation's commentary about the sorry state of our education system:
http://blog.heritage.org/category/education/