By Bill Korach and Deb Gonzales

Republican candidates, Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Michelle Bachmann, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney have stated that the Department of Education (DOE) should be either abolished or significantly reduced in scope. We believe that the DOE is doing far more harm than good, and should be abolished. The DOE was established under Jimmy Carter in 1978 at the urging of the newly formed public teacher’s unions. The budget for the first year of operation was $14.5 Billion. The projected budget for 2011 is $80 Billion. It is fair to ask what the DOE has done to improve education with the rapid growth of their budget.

Spending vs. Performance k-12

A study prepared by the Center for Educational Freedom with DOE data shows that in 1979, the first year of DOE operation, $70,000 was spent per pupil for a k-12 education. By 2006, the cost to educate a pupil for k-12th grade had risen to $150,000. Yet during that time, student achievement as measured by science and math scores showed no improvement, while reading scores actually declined. Mckinsey reports that American students rank 25th in science and math out of 35 developed countries. Last year American SAT score were the lowest on record since SAT began to track results.

The DOE in fact has become a highly politicized organization increasingly influenced by leftist, globalist thinking. The DOE has fully adapted The UN’s Agenda 21 that mandates teaching that climate change is dangerous and is caused by humans. Great resources must be spent to remedy problems caused by climate change. Agenda 21 seeks to elevate nature, subjugate man, and promote collectivism over individualism; the student is not a citizen of a nation, but rather a citizen of the globe.  Students do not learn facts and evaluate critically, rather learn behaviors and attitudes that must fall in line with the required outcomes outlined in the curriculum.  Agenda 21 also mandates teaching “social justice” a code word for socialist redistribution of wealth. Gender neutrality, multiculturalism, and other politically correct ideas are promoted. The DOE has become an advocate for Teacher’s Unions who have sought benefits at the expense of students. Apple founder Steven Jobs stated that the teachers unions needed to be broken if education were ever to be reformed. The union rules and tenure protect poor teachers from being fired and good teachers from being rewarded. SR 998, a House bill designed to promote homosexual and lesbian lifestyles would be implemented through the DOE if it becomes law.

In spite of all of DOE’s flaws, shutting down DOE would require political capital and political will. A bill would need to be introduced in the house and Senate and passed by majorities in each house, then signed by the President. It is highly unlikely that an Obama White House would approve any bill to shut down the DOE. A determined Republican in the White House with Republican majorities in both houses would be a minimum requirement to passing such a bill. Teacher’s unions and special interest lobby groups would howl.

But an end to an $80 Billion per year fiasco and renewed hope for A...