The Ineffectiveness of Education Reform

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On January 8, 2002 President Bush signed into law the Leave No Child Behind Act, which significantly changes how public schools receive federal funding. This bipartisan-supported attempt at reform, the first of this magnitude since the Elementary-Secondary Education Act of 1965, shows a dedicated concern to improving education. However, it is not plausible a punishment/rewards system will positively improve schools on a large scale as a nationwide policy should.

President Bush’s apparent prioritizing of schools is the positive stance for the federal government to take on this issue, especially at a time when domestic concerns could be overshadowed by global tensions and war activities. At first glance, one may be reassured by the current trend in spending on education: $22.1 billion for 2002, up 27% from last year, and 49% from 2000. Consider education’s place in the federal budget for the 2000 fiscal year (from Dept. of Education and www.census.gov), when it was a mere .7% ($11.27 billion), microscopic in comparison to Defense at 14.5% ($238 billion), Medicare/Medicaid at 20.4% (...

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