Why does Ron hate the Dept. of Education so much?

[Madison]

I don't oppose eliminating the department of education but I am curious as to why Ron opposes this federal agency more than so many others. He always brings it up in speeches and debates. He obviously wants to terminate most federal bureaucracies but the fact that he names the Dept. of Education by name every time makes me curious. What are the biggest problems with it? The only thing that comes to my mind is that it produces centralized education from the federal government which is responsible for dumbing down students.

[yongrel]

It's a huge bureaucracy that does absolutely nothing. I think the reason he brings it up so often is that the Dep of Education used to be Enemy #1 with the Republicans a few decaeds ago, and he's trying to appeal to the old time Republicans.

[AlbemarleNC0003]

10th amendment.

[mokkan88]

He probably doesn't "more than others", but it's a department that the Republicans originally opposed. Now the department wastes money and is destroying education.

[Vvick727]

its dumbed down america. purposefully and staggeringly.

[chiplitfam]

Educate yourself. www.deliberatedumbingdown.com

[0zzy]

They injected money into centralized planning.
The result ended up with worse education and higher cost of education.
Waste of money, drives prices up, drives education down.

[GraspingForPeace]

Eliminating the Dept. of Education used to be a platform of the Republican party, so why not keep bringing it up? The Department really is useless, especially the new No Child Left Behind Act. This, along with the IRS and the Dept. of Homeland Security take many many taxes that do not need to go into the government.

[nbhadja]

Cause the gov wastes huge amount of money in public schools. Having a bunch of private schools would not only create better schools, but it would save the people money cause they would pay less to the school instead of more to the government.

[thegr8drronpaul]

problem is he has NEVER explained why and it TURNS viewers off.

Not once in a debate has he said that he wants teachers and parents to make decisions locally on what their children should be getting in the way of education.

[sharedvoice]

I don't oppose eliminating the department of education but I am curious as to why Ron opposes this federal agency more than so many others. He always brings it up in speeches and debates. He obviously wants to terminate most federal bureaucracies but the fact that he names the Dept. of Education by name every time makes me curious. What are the biggest problems with it? The only thing that comes to my mind is that it produces centralized education from the federal government which is responsible for dumbing down students.

Well, you would despise the DOE as much considering the amount of uneducated sheep we have in this country. Clearly a failed government system, which most are, at the expense of the people.

[Joe3113]

This is why...

http://deliberatedumbingdown.com/

[libertythor]

He opposes is so much because of the danger that centralizing the education system poses. As the DOE grows, the power the special interests have over our children's education will only grow.

Take a look at some other countries that have it centralized. Educational paths of children are dictated by what those in power think the nation "needs". Take a look at Mexico, Russia, etc. For example, in Tijuana there is a federal run secondary school called "Federal Technical and service trades secondary school #....". Some of the propaganda courses offered are "Scientific thought and social values", etc.

Ron is right for focusing on this. The DOE is a danger to our individual freedoms.

I don't oppose eliminating the department of education but I am curious as to why Ron opposes this federal agency more than so many others. He always brings it up in speeches and debates. He obviously wants to terminate most federal bureaucracies but the fact that he names the Dept. of Education by name every time makes me curious. What are the biggest problems with it? The only thing that comes to my mind is that it produces centralized education from the federal government which is responsible for dumbing down students.

[diesirae]

Forced integration, maybe?

I know that's a state's rights issue that Ron Paul has backed for a long time.

[hvac ak47]

Because the gov is brain washing our children!!

[ladyliberty]

http://www.ronpaul2008.com/articles/...cation-morass/

[MyKillK]

Who wouldn't be so opposed to the federal government wasting billions of dollars on an education system that has only degenerated into one of the worst in the industrialized world.

When education was run outside of the Fed's jurisdiction it was the idol of the world. Now it's an embarrassment.

As a young man of 23 raised in the public eduction system, I can attest that once I hit high school the quality of education fell off a cliff. And sadly, it hasn't become any better at my California State University which I pay a bunch of money for.

I've learned infinitely more on the internet than I ever have or will through school.

[PetersburgPanic]

Let's see. We have no national school system. Education is run by local governments and state school boards.

Therefore, what does the Department of Education do? It basically is a clearinghouse for research and reports it pays for that no one looks at, and also administers the bureaucratic nightmare known as the Every...I mean No Child Left Behind Act.

[Bold As Love]

Probably because it is in violation of the 10th Amendment/Reserved Powers clause. The constitution does not give the Federal government authority over education in any way whatsoever. It is the principle of a limited national government. If you give it in this case, where do you draw the line?

As a public school teacher, I DESPISE the dept. of ed. I cannot think of a single positive impact they have had. What I understand, is that this was pushed by the NEA in the 1970's...a very socialist perspective at that. Very similar to Hillary Clinton's whole "it takes a village" concept. Collectivism at its finest. They wanted to take kids at the age of about 2 and take care of "all their needs", basically socializing them into adulthood.

I can only speak of Texas, but it is also dreadful to see the damage our State governments have inflicted. Unfortunately, this is an issue that people care about in the weeks before and election but to which nobody pays attention. We are talking about an extremely watered-down curriculum, making excuses for kids wherever we can, etc.

Education is to be done at the LOCAL level and that level only. The so-called "independent school districts" we have today are a total joke and nothing more than an appendage of the state/federal machine.

[pcosmar]

problem is he has NEVER explained why and it TURNS viewers off.

Not once in a debate has he said that he wants teachers and parents to make decisions locally on what their children should be getting in the way of education.

I don't think Dr. Paul expects to win the "Stupid people" vote. He does appeal to educated voters, and open minds. Those that will research the positions.

[jsgolfman]

10th amendment.

You could have stopped the thread right after this post.

[RockEnds]

Because the Department of Education is the root of the trouble. Its purpose is not education, but the dissemination of propaganda and the training of a national labor force.

[ladyliberty]

Forced integration, maybe?

I know that's a state's rights issue that Ron Paul has backed for a long time.

This has NOTHING to do with it! Read this:

Ron Paul: Federal Education Morass

Summary:

After more than 40 years of massive federal education spending, the inescapable conclusion is that federal control is failing. By any objective standards, our public schools are worse than ever. Policies regarding curricula and discipline, once set by local teachers and principals working closely with parents, are now established in Washington. I believe that parents and teachers know what is best for their schools at the local level. The key to reforming public education in America is returning local control back to our public schools.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

by Ron Paul, Dr. May 28, 2001

After more than 40 years of massive federal education spending, the inescapable conclusion is that federal control is failing. By any objective standards, our public schools are worse than ever. Policies regarding curricula and discipline, once set by local teachers and principals working closely with parents, are now established in Washington.

Politically correct sensitivity training substitutes for rigorous coursework in liberal arts or practical vocations. Children learn phony self-esteem, rather than the importance of productive achievement. Teachers are prohibited from maintaining discipline. As a result, our high school graduates enter adulthood less educated and less prepared for responsibility than previous generations. Obviously, ever-increasing federal control over our schools has failed the nation's children and lowered educational standards.

Yet while the need for new policies in Washington has never been greater, the approach unfortunately remains the same: more federal spending and more federal control. Last week Congress passed legislation that massively increases funding for failed Education department programs. Although the bill was widely hailed as bipartisan, the truth is that it contained mostly liberal measures promoted by Democratic members of Congress. Key Republican provisions such as school vouchers and unconditional flexibility for local school districts were not included. Regardless of the party stamp, the bill clearly represents a big-spending, big government plan that will only serve to further entrench the wasteful federal education monopoly.

The bill increases the Education department budget by a whopping 22 percent- more than even the liberals had hoped. The $9.2 billion increase brings the total department budget to more than $50 billion. No one mentions the high tax rates we all pay to finance this spending. We must remember that every dollar parents send to Washington is a dollar they don't have to spend directly on their children's education. Most education tax dollars sent to Washington fund the federal bureaucracy; far less than half of each dollar is ever returned to local schools. More importantly, federal school dollars come with strings attached. The more money we give to education bureaucrats, the more power they have to dictate how local schools are run. When federal spending increases, local schools are forced to do whatever it takes to get their share, even if this means adopting one size fits all policies mandated in Washington. In other words, federal money is used as a club to force schools to surrender more and more of their decision making authority to Washington.

I believe that parents and teachers know what is best for their schools at the local level. The key to reforming public education in America is returning local control back to our public schools. I have introduced three education tax credit bills which keep more tax dollars and more decision making power at the local level. The first provides parents with a $3,000 per child credit for educational expenses, including tuition, books, computers, and tutors. The second allows parents or individuals to claim up to $3,000 in tax credits for cash or in-kind donations to schools and scholarship programs. The third bill grants all teachers a $1,000 tax credit, effectively raising their salaries without spending tax dollars. All three of these measures share the same goal of insuring that parents, rather than federal education bureaucrats, decide how their children are educated.

Congress never seems to learn that Washington does not know what is best for kids. While both parties claim to stand for education, their bureaucratic approach should no longer be tolerated by American education consumers. American parents will spend generously on their children's education, but Congress must be willing to lower tax burdens and ease the federal stranglehold on education that has destroyed our public schools.

[sands]

Because the fedeal gov. can mandate what is taught in schools...Basically what's going on now is teaching globalist gov. philosophies and socialism...

[LibertyEagle]

Hey ladyliberty.... long time, no see. We missed ya.

[shooter_tx]

It's a huge bureaucracy that does absolutely nothing. I think the reason he brings it up so often is that the Dep of Education used to be Enemy #1 with the Republicans a few decaeds ago, and he's trying to appeal to the old time Republicans.

Yes, that is the pragmatic rationale.

The philosophical rationale is that they are an extra-Constitutional Cabinet-level bureacracy which usurps a function that could EASILY be performed by state- and/or local-level agencies.

[Carl Corey]

Imagine having to follow an educational course to get your drivers license. Socialist Europe has already beaten the USA to it so here are the requirements: 40 driving lessons of an hour, followed by a theoretical and practical exam.

50 euro for each one hour driving lesson by a certified expert with a special teaching car, times 40 totaling 2000 euro. Theory exam of 100 euro, practical exam of 200 euro, and you're at 2300 euro for your driver's license! Given the exam agencies are strongly connected to the agencies giving the driving lessons it's no big surprise that they manage to fail over 50% of the candidates, which brings in 2300, 4600, or even 7100 euro depending on the budget, skill, and most of all luck, of the people aspiring a drivers license.

Naturally the people buy this crap because they've been led to believe this is the only way to make driving a happy and most of all safe experience for everyone.


Same story for education, students pay massive amounts of money to learn things some bureaucrat thinks they need to perform a certain job.

The task of the government should be to deal with exams and handing out diplomas if someone passes the exam. Whether someone went to Harvard or learned from some 2nd hand books and a little help from his grandpa should be of no concern.

[Revolution9]

Simple. Trot out and show one student that the Despot of Edumacation has edumacated.

HTH
Randy

[lx43]

I wish he would add a few more departments when he gives speaches.

education, energy, labor, health, labor, transportation, etc

[shooter_tx]

Because the Department of Education is the root of the trouble. Its purpose is not education, but the dissemination of propaganda and the training of a national labor force.

That's a lie!

Oh no, wait; you're exactly right.

Especially the last part.