Eliminate the Department of Education?

The way to begin any policy analysis is to determine which if any of the alternatives is constitutional. Contrary to the views of some critics of the Department of Education, there is actually some constitutional authority for a federal role in education. However, that role is confined to prescribing militia training, and funding it to the extent of that congressional power. Now militia includes everyone, especially children, and militia training can be considered to cover all the main subjects of education -- everything that would be taught in a military academy -- but with a focus on defense against threats to public rights, safety, and health. That would indicate military schools.

At the state level, the constitutional focus is somewhat different: to turn out good citizens, able to perform the functions needed in such fields as policy, law, and government.

At the family and local level, the focus is on educating for economic productivity. Parents and the local community want the kids to be able to make a living and produce the goods and services needed by the community. That focus is more vocational.

These also represent a hierarchy of importance: defense is most important, followed by governance, followed by productivity. They are all important, but we have allowed the last to become emphasized at the neglect of the first two.

As for funding, that needs to be put in perspective. Kids who are motivated to learn will, regardless of whether they have schools, teachers, textbooks, or anything else. If they are not motivated, then all the money thrown at them will be wasted, and it largely has been.

My grandfather taught in the era of the one-room schoolhouse, using the Lancasterian Method. The replacement of that method by the Mann Method of grouping kids by age into classes and trying to regiment their development has been a disaster. It is time to undo that mistake.